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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 0026.PDF
FLIGHT fOMBUSTION RESEARCH s powering the Meteor aircraft which went into igainst the German flying bombs in June, 1944. rting to the Birmingham test house, it was soon to be too limited for the volume of work, and in che Ministry of Aircraft Production decided to e the organisation to the vicinity of Burnley, bhire, to avoid possible destruction by enemy 1. A new building was designed with improved extended facilities and a second compressor was . ned to double the air capacity available at Bir- lgham. This new plant, which is still in operation, a compressor house and electrical sub-station, well- 'pped mechanical workshop, a sheet-metal workshop the fabrication of prototype equipment, combustion laboratories and a number of fully instrumented test s. The majority of these are arranged to take air n the main compressors, the necessary pipe lines ng provided to enable both compressors operate in parallel on a single test bed INNER CONE primarily for fundamental research work on combus- tion and carbon formation problems. In studying conditions at lighting-up and starting, a simple atmospheric rig is supplied with air from an ordinary centrifugal blower. The combustion chamber discharges directly to atmosphere so that the interior is visible, enabling the process of lighting-up to be studied. In addition, there is a chemical laboratory equipped for complete gas analysis and the testing of fuels, and a physics laboratory dealing with the develop- ment of optical and other physical methods for airflow- tests, spectroscopy and pyrometry. As an indication of the rapid development of gas turbine design it may here be men- COMBUSTION tioned that the CHAMBERS existing facilities, complete though they are, will not CC TORSION-FREE- LINK SUSPENSION IGNITER PLUGCABIN PRESSUR1SATION CONNECTION COOLING AIR OUTLET MANIFOLD JOHNPALMEK. as is necessary in the case of the larger units now being developed. The majority of the test beds are arranged for the use of kerosene or similar fuels which, it is believed, will be the fuel of the future for gas turbines not only on account of the reduced fire risk but because of the increased calorific value for a given volume. Special Test Beds One test bed, however, is available in which provi- sion has been made for the use of petrol or other vola- tile fuel. All the controls are remote in a separate chamber, the test bed itself being isolated in a suitable fire-proof enclosure. In addition, a further bed is supplied with air from a Merlin blower driven by a 500 h.p. electric motor through suitable speed increasing gear. This is used FIXED NOZZLE' GUIDE VANES COMBUSTION CHAMBER • FRONT CONNECT1NC ELBOW out the compo- nents of some of the units of more recent design in which much higher compres- sion ratios are envisaged. To this end it has been decided to install two new compressors, each delivering 6 lb. bf air per second at pres- sures up to 150 lb./sq. in. gauge. These compressors, each driven by a 2,250 h.p. electric motor, are now in course of erection, and when installed, the laboratory will be capable of investi- gating combustion condi- tions for even the most am- bitious turbine project. The combustion turbine may be termed a continu- ous constant-pressure en- gine. To enable the tur- bine to expand the gases to the desired level the pres- BURNER FORWA SUSPENSf TRUNNN •3URNER DOMEHEAD TURBINE BLADES Part - sectioned drawing ofcombustion chamber for de Havilland Goblin II.
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