무인기용 터보제너레이터를 위한 300 N급 마이크로 터보제트 코어 기반 동력터빈 설계

초록

Recently, research on micro gas turbines has been actively conducted, and the development of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) utilizing these systems is also progressing. Various UAVs employing turbojet-based micro gas turbine engines have been developed; however, their high noise characteristics impose limitations on low-altitude operations. To address this issue, research on small UAVs employing hybrid electric propulsion (HEP) systems has been expanding. Accordingly, the demand for the development of turbo-generators utilizing micro gas turbine engines has been increasing. In this study, the design and performance evaluation of a power turbine were conducted for the development of turbo-generator based on a 300 N class micro turbojet engine. The power turbine was developed based on a commercial turbojet engine, and a conversion approach to a turboshaft engine configuration for turbo-generator applications was applied to satisfy specific power output requirements. For the design of a single-stage power turbine, a thermodynamic cycle simulation was performed to determine the gas generator turbine outlet conditions. Based on these conditions, the power-turbine geometry was determined and its performance was evaluated through three-dimensional numerical simulations. A parametric study over the flow coefficient identified an operating point that satisfies the target shaft power while maintaining consistency with the predicted inlet total pressure level. The selected case achieved 22 kW of shaft power at 41,553 rpm, corresponding to an estimated electrical output of approximately 20 kW when gearbox and generator efficiencies are assumed. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a micro-gas-turbine-based turbogenerator for UAV HEP applications and provide a design procedure linking cycle analysis to power-turbine numerical simulation.

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