In recent years it is true to say that for industrial gas turbines, recuperators have not found acceptance, and even the large increases in fuel prices in the 1970s failed to stimulate their utilization to a noticeable degree. For defense applications, however, where minimizing the total volume and weight of the engine and fuel inventory, together with having a low specific fuel consumption characteristic at part power (e.g. battle tank and marine propulsion) are paramount, recuperated engines are being used in ever increasing numbers. With earlier impediments now overcome (i.e. structural integrity, reliability, cost, etc.), technology spin-offs from defense programs should result in a renewed interest in recuperated engines for a wide spectrum of applications, and this is the major theme of the paper. The author would like to dedicate this paper to Prof. A. L. London of Stanford University on the occasion of his 75th birthday, and to give recognition of his significant technical contributions over many years, towards the realization of recuperators for many gas turbine applications. © 1990.
