Some problems resulting from powering of turbine engines by liquified petroleum gas (LPG)

There has been observed for several years a number of attempts to introduce for everyday use small power units which utilize turbine engine as propulsion unit (the U.S., Japan, and Europe). Efficiency increase of such devices is achieved by improving of turbine engine design as well as utilizing of exhaust gas thermal energy to heat the compressed air supplied to combustion chamber and, for example to heat usable water. Significant orientation of turbine engine improvements lead to the modernization of combustion processes by applying of gaseous fuels (such as compressed natural gas) or implementation of high-temperature catalytic combustion. The purpose of these changes reduction of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides emissions. In Propulsion Department of Aviation Institute a scientific project has been realized, in which the object of study was aircraft turbine engine powered by a liquid propane-butane mixture. The paper presents some results of engine tests carried out, especially concerning feeding system, special fuel system applied LPG pumping systems with the use of sliding-vane pump and by means of pressure reservoir and combustion process of LPG atomized with the use of original GTD-350 vortex injector, adapted for aviation kerosene Jet-A.