• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.622-627
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• 2004

There are many difficulties in realizing Ultra-micro gas turbine system. Among them, the effects of tip clearance upon the micro turbine flowfield are discussed in this paper. The flowfield was investigated numerically with the Reynolds-averaged three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. Calculations were conducted with clearance height from 0％ to 10% of the passage height. Leakage mass flow and deterioration of efficiency are proportional to the clearance height for the clearance height larger than 4%. However, in the case of 2% clearance, leakage flow is significantly reduced due to relative motion of the casing and as a result deterioration of efficiency is very small. It is difficult to control tip clearance in micro turbines, but the results of this study indicate that if the clearance height is controlled within a few per-cent of passage height, deterioration of stage performance will be small.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.828-836
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• 2008

To develop an engineering-model of hydrogen-fueled ultra-micro combustor for Ultra Micro Gas Turbine(UMGT), we reviewed and summarized the problems in downsizing combustors, and determined a suitable burning method. The key issue to actualize practical ultra-micro combustors is reducing heat loss from the combustor to compressor and turbine. The reduction of heat loss was discussed from 3 different viewpoints; heat-insulation material, high-space-heating-rate combustion, and combustor-insolated gas turbine structure. Use of heat-insulation material induced the heat loss reduction to the surroundings. The heat loss ratio decreased substantially in reverse proportion to space heating rate, leading the idea that it could be reduced by burning at a high space heating rate. By settling the combustor insolated from the compressor and turbine, the heat transfer from the combustor to the compressor and turbine becomes smaller. For a selection of the suitable burning method, comparison between 2 burning methods, flat-flame and swirling-flamer types, was conducted. Synthetically the flat-flame burning method was confirmed to be more suitable for ultra-micro combustors than latter one. Base on them, an engineering-model of hydrogen-fueled flat-flame ultra-micro combustor was developed. To obtain high overall heat-insulation, heat-resistant and strength, the engineering-model combustor had triple layer structure with an advanced ceramic, a heat insulation material and a stainless steel. To simplify heat transfer issue in the combustor, it was isolated from the other components. Furthermore it was designed by considering structure, size, material, velocity, pressure loss and prevention of flashback.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.426-430
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• 2009

In order to investigate the design method for a micro centrifugal compressor, which is the most important component of an ultra micro gas turbine, an impeller having the outer diameter of 20mm was designed, manufactured and tested. The designed rotational speed is 500,000 rpm and the impeller has a fully 3-dimensional shape. The impeller was rotated at 250,000 rpm in the present study. The experimental results of the tested compressor with the vaned and the vaneless diffusers were compared. It was found that the vaned diffuser attained the higher flow rate than the vaneless diffuser at the maximum pressure ratio. In addition the maximum pressure ratio was higher for the diffuser having a larger diffuser divergence angle at the high flow rate. These results were compared with those obtained by the prediction method used at the design stage.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.51-57
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• 2012

Performance evaluation of a compressor is conducted to develop 500W class ultra-micro gas turbine (UMGT) for power generation. The performance evaluation is essential to check the performance of the components of UMGT, a radial turbine, a centrifugal compressor, an angular combustor and a shaft, which have been already designed in previous researches. The purpose of this study is to introduce the development process of the performance testing equipments of the UMGT and to present the results of compressor performance test. For the performance evaluation of the compressor, two test equipments are developed and the initial test equipment uses commercial static air bearings with long shaft. In the improved test equipment, static air bearing is improved to increase rotating speed and compressed nitrogen gas is used for utility gas of the static air bearing to supply compressed air in a stable and steady way. To increase rotating speed to 320,000 rpm, 80% speed of design speed, compressed air is provided to the turbine. The performance map of the compressor with the 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% speed of design point is presented. The results of the performance test of compressor show a good agreement with the results of 3D CFD.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2013

In this study, we performed a numerical study of hydrogen/air combustion in the combustion chamber of an ultra micro gas turbine. The supply flow rate and equivalence ratio are used as variables, and the commercial computational fluid dynamic program (STAR-CCM) is used for the numerical study of the combustion. The flow rate significantly affects the flame position, flame temperature, and pressure ratio between the inlet and the outlet. The flame position is close to the outlet in the combustion chamber, and the flame temperature and pressure ratio monotonously increases with the supply flow rate. The change in the equivalence ratio does not affect the flame position. The maximum flame temperature occurs under stoichiometric conditions.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.19-24
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• 2014

Development of long-term mobile energy sources for mobile robots or small-sized unmanned vehicles are actively increasing. The micro gas turbine generator (MTG) is a good candidate for this purpose because it has both of high energy density and high power density, and 500W class MTG is under development. The designed MTG can be divided into 2 main parts. One part consists of motor/ generator and compressor, and the other one consists of combustor, recuperator and turbine. 500W class MTG is designed to operate at ultra-high speed of 400,000 rpm in high turbine temperature over $700^{\circ}C$ to improve the efficiency. Because the magnetism of NdFeB permanent magnet for the motor/generator could be degraded if the temperature is over $150-200^{\circ}C$, MTG needs the thermal insulation to block the heat transfer from combustor/turbine side to motor/generator side. Moreover, the motor/generator is allocated to get the cooling effect from the rapid air flow by the compressor. This study presents the experimental results to verify whether the thermal insulator and air flow are effective enough to keep the motor/generator part in the low temperature less than $100^{\circ}C$. From the motoring test by using the high temperature test rig, it was confirmed that the motor/generator part could maintain the temperature less than $50^{\circ}C$ under the condition of 1.0 bar compressed air.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.862-862
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• 2007

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.320-327
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• 2002

In concert with the growing emphasis placed on distributed power generation there will be a need, in the first decade of the 21th century, for a compact thermal energy system capable of providing the total energy needs of individual homes. A natural gas fueled co-generation micro-turbine with ultra low emission will meet this need. Market opportunities for a distributed micro turbine co-generation system are projected to increase dramatically. In this paper, It was determined that with current state of art component performance levels, metrallic materials, thermal efficiency goal of $28\%$ at sea level standard day conditions are attainable. Higher overall thermal efficiency of $78\%$ is attainable with micro-turbine combined with exhaust fired boilers.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.541-548
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• 2008

To improve the operational stability of the 100 Watts class Micro Gas Turbine, the air foil bearing with additional damping material has been investigated. The key of structure is that a viscoelastic material is coated under the top foil. The compliant foil journal bearing and thrust bearing are designed to withstand high load of vibrations at the operational speed 870,000 rpm. Test is executed in room temperature. Rotor has stably operated above 480,000 rpm. It is over 55% of the designed speed 870,000 rpm. Synchronous and subsynchronous vibrations are both well controlled. Vibration amplitude diminished over 50%. With the help of increased damping resulting from the viscoelasticity, the rotor stability of Micro turbocharger has been improved.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2015

In this study, a 2-W micro-gas turbine engine was designed using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and analytical and experimental investigations of its potential under actual combustion conditions were performed. An ultra-micro-gas turbine contains a turbo-charger, combustor, and generator. A compressor, turbine blade, and generator coil were manufactured using MEMS technology. The shaft was supported by a precision computer numerical control machined air bearing, and a permanent magnet was attached to the end of the shaft for generation. An analysis found that the cooling effect of the air bearing and compressor was sufficient to cover the combustor heat, which was verified in an actual experiment.