Modeling and simulation of general fuel tank thermal model

Heat balance differential equations were built for fuel tank wall, gas inside the fuel tank and fuel by considering comprehensive heat transfer processes. Then general simulation model of fuel tank was further developed on the Flowmaster platform with C# language. Dynamic simulations of a fuel system were subsequently performed over a typical flight profile to get dynamic curves of fuel mass, recirculation fuel mass flow rate and fuel temperature, so that quantitative analyses on the cooling ability of fuel could be conducted, and then appropriate circulation mass flow rates, and cooling capacity of the fuel radiator were obtained. Results show that the maximum heat load which can be carried away by the fuel is about 50 kW of this fuel system. For a higher heat load of 70 kW, circulation mass flow rates between the supply and transport tanks(front and back) are 0.3 kg/s and 0.1 kg/s, and the cooling capacity of the fuel radiator is 12kW.