Study on Versatile Modular Engine Performance Simulation Platform

With the development of aviation industry, advances in engine modeling have become synonymous with increased complexity. In this paper, we present a versatile modular engine performance simulation platform based on MATLAB/SIMULINK to build an integrated system for engine performance and analysis. The platform provides standard components for engine models and allows users to introduce new function modules for novel engines. Given that the Newton-Raphson method has a second-order convergence rate, the steady state model is still solved using a Newton-Raphson solver. To address the complexity of high-dimensional issue in engine modeling, several “Turbomachine-volume” systems are established to transfer it into multiple simple and linear issues. In addition, auxiliary volume modules are built to pass the downstream imbalance information upstream. Based on this component-level engine model, we developed an installed performance estimation tool that quantifies installation loss due to matching with the inlet and nozzle to reduce the iteration times of aircraft and engine co-design. By comparing with Gasturb and test values, the deviation of section parameters and performance parameters are both within 4.26%. The relative errors between simulation results and test value in acceleration process are less than 4.4%, while variable cycle engines enable mode transition processes as well. The versatile engine simulation platform established in this paper is highly accurate, expandable, and efficient, providing a flexible and efficient tool for optimizing aircraft engine design parameters, designing control systems, diagnosing faults, etc.