Session: 01-17 Modelling, Simulation and Validation IV

Paper Number: 125821

125821 - Development of a Modular Engine Performance Calculation Tool for Prediction of Conventional and Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Engines 

Reducing climate-damaging emissions is a key objective of today's aviation industry. Suitable approaches include emission-optimized flight profiles and the use of hybrid-electric propulsion technologies. In order to quickly identify and quantify their potential, powerful 0D engine models are needed to calculate the performance of conventional thermal and hybrid-electric propulsion systems at the design point and in off-design conditions.

This paper presents a model for such performance calculation, emission and mass estimation. Special emphasis is laid on a flexible, modular design, so that the framework can be extended by new configurations and additional components, e.g. electrical subsystems or heat exchangers. Established single and multi-spool turbojet, turbofan, and turboprop configurations as well as various (hybrid-)electric architectures are implemented. Validation against an established commercial reference (GasTurb) shows deviations well below one percent, mainly due to differences in the calculation of gas properties. For the analysis along entire flight missions, off-design operating points are computed quasi-steadily depending on atmospheric boundary conditions and thrust requirements. The latter are determined using the open source tool OpenAP. Thereby, the influence of additional mass due to more sophisticated engine configurations is taken into account.

To illustrate the capabilities of the performance tool, an exemplary flight mission is calculated for a conventional turbofan engine and a parallel hybrid-electric configuration. The benefits and challenges of using hybrid-electric engines for flight missions are highlighted. These include the need for careful matching of conventional and electric components, redesign of the gas turbine, and advanced thermal management.

Overall, the strengths of the developed tool are demonstrated. The modular structure and easy adaptability are ideal for the efficient design and calculation of state-of-the-art and future aircraft engines. The tool allows estimating their impact on flight mission fuel consumption and emissions, and thus on the climate.

Presenting Author: Marcus Wiegand Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion

Presenting Author Biography: Marcus Wiegand is a research associate at the Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion at Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, since 2023. He holds a Dipl.-Ing. (equivalent to M.S.) degree in Aerospace Engineering from Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, which he received in 2023. He completed his diploma thesis in cooperation with Rolls-Royce Germany.

His research interests encompass the development of sustainable aircraft propulsion systems, such as hybrid-electric engines, with a special focus on modeling their performance. He is currently working on this as a research associate at Technische Universität Dresden.

Authors:

Marcus Wiegand Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion
Lukas Schuchard Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion
Tony Krüger Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion
Ronald Mailach Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion