Lalit Patidar

Course

Gas Turbine Combustion: A First-Principles Course

A ten-lesson deep-dive into the science and engineering of gas turbine combustors — from the physics of flame stabilization to emissions chemistry and alternative fuels. Based on Lefebvre & Ballal's definitive text, rebuilt from first principles.

10 chapters~58 min total

Read one chapter at a time — each is structured as a focused learning block.

  1. Chapter 01
    Basic ConsiderationsWhat a gas turbine combustor must actually do — the seven competing requirements, the three hardware configurations, and the four interior zones that every designer must navigate.6 min read
  2. Chapter 02
    Combustion FundamentalsThe science behind the flame: premixed vs. diffusion combustion, flammability limits, the Arrhenius equation, adiabatic flame temperature, and why temperature is the single most powerful design variable.5 min read
  3. Chapter 03
    DiffusersHow to convert compressor exit velocity into static pressure efficiently — the purpose of the diffuser, the key performance metrics, and why dump diffusers became the standard despite being 'imperfect'.5 min read
  4. Chapter 04
    AerodynamicsThe aerodynamic architecture of the combustor: swirlers, the Central Recirculation Zone, liner hole jets, and the Pattern Factor — how flow sculpting creates a stable flame and a uniform turbine inlet.6 min read
  5. Chapter 05
    Combustion PerformanceHow we measure whether a combustor is actually working: efficiency, the stability loop, lean blowout, altitude relight, and the loading parameter that governs combustor sizing.6 min read
  6. Chapter 06
    Fuel InjectionFrom liquid stream to burning mist: the physics of atomization, Sauter Mean Diameter, the three major injector families, and why airblast atomizers became the standard for aircraft engines.6 min read
  7. Chapter 07
    Combustion NoiseWhen the flame and the combustor start talking to each other: broadband noise, the Rayleigh criterion for thermoacoustic instability, the three instability regimes, and why low-emissions combustors are inherently noisy.5 min read
  8. Chapter 08
    Heat TransferKeeping the metal from melting: radiation and convection from the flame, the evolution from film cooling to effusion cooling, thermal barrier coatings, and the cooling penalty that makes every gram of cooling air expensive.6 min read
  9. Chapter 09
    EmissionsThe chemistry and formation mechanisms of NOₓ, CO, unburned hydrocarbons, and soot — and the three engineering strategies (LPM, RQL, staged combustion) that modern low-emissions combustors use to attack them.6 min read
  10. Chapter 10
    Alternative FuelsHow sustainable aviation fuels, synthetic kerosenes, and hydrogen change every aspect of combustor design — from atomization to stability, emissions, and the material limits of hardware designed for Jet-A.7 min read
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