The combustor pre-design process utilizing a tool which generates within a short time a realistic pre-design of a combustor based on a small set of input parameters. This design includes the geometry of the combustor, the air flow distribution, wall materials and the design of the combustor cooling concept. The purpose is to identify critical requirements for the combustor design in a very early stage of the development of new engines and engine concepts, to evaluate combustor technologies and to indicate new R&D requirements. ComDAT is used for combustor pre-design studies as well as in a tool-chain for engine pre-design.
Main input data are mass flow, pressures and temperatures together with the combustor entry and exit radius. Additionally initial settings for the cooling concept and the wall materials are possible. Both conventional and innovative lean combustors can be designed. The pre-design process comprises of the following steps:
Cross section of a conventional combustion chamber with film cooling