Some Factors Affecting Gas Turbine Passenger Car Emissions

The intent of this paper is to put into proper perspective the relationships among the vehicle, the thermodynamic cycle, and the combustion process as they relate to exhaust emissions from a gas turbine-powered passenger car. The influence of such factors as car size, installed power, regeneration, and other cycle variables on level road load fuel economy, and on the production of oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, are examined. In limited checks against experimental data, the mathematical model of the combustor used in this study has proved to be a reliable indicator of emission trends. The calculated emission levels are not final, however, with deficiencies subject to improvement as new combustor concepts are developed.