Gas-turbine applications extend well beyond NASA's developmental programs, and it is believed that all of the potential benefits suggested in the NASA commercial applications section would apply to the sphere of interest of the aircraft engine manufacturers, for both military and commercial engine applications. In addition, compressor heat extraction schemes in some cases may provide additional opportunities for performance and life improvement in industrial gas turbine applications where intercooling and water injection are routinely used.
The most immediate opportunities for a compressor heat-extraction system are: 1) as an enabler to advanced turbomachinery based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion systems used in NASA's next generation high flight Mach number vehicles, such as single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) concepts and 2) to improve performance of multi-stage compressors in NASA's next generation high bypass ratio turbofan-powered aircraft applications (N+1 and beyond) that are currently limited by both compressor material temperature limits and compressor bleed air temperature limitations on turbine blade cooling effectiveness. NASA would also be able to potentially realize ancillary cycle benefits from compressor heat extraction in the form of pre-heating of fuel and "cooling of cooling air" in turbine blade applications where compressor bleed is the heat sink.
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