Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is a technique that has found use in the field of aerospace engineering for aircraft design. It uses optimization to simultaneously solve design problems with several disciplines involved. In order to predict aircraft performance an engine performance simulation model, also called “rubber engine”, is vital. The goal of this project is to validate and integrate a rubber engine model into an MDO environment. A method for computer simulation of gas turbine aero engine performance was created. GasTurb v11, a commercial gas turbine performance simulation software, was selected for doing the simulation models. The method was validated by applying it to five different jet engines of different size, different type and different age. It was shown that the simulation engine model results are close to the engine manufacturer data in terms of SFC and net thrust during cruise, maximum climb (MCL) and take off (MTO) thrust ratings. The cruise, take off and climb SFC was in general predicted within 2% error when compared to engine manufacturer performance data. The take off and climb net thrust was in general predicted with less than 5% error. The integration of the rubber engine model with the MDO framework was started and it was demonstrated that the model can run within the MDO software. Four different jet engine models have been prepared for use within the optimization software. The main conclusion is that GasTurb v11 can be used to make accurate jet engine performance simulation models and that it is possible to incorporate these models into an MDO environment.

This thesis details an in investigation of two problems arising during the testing of a jet engine in a test cell, namely the formation and ingestion of vortices and the generation and propagation of infrasound. Investigation involved the use of computational fluid dynamic as well as analytical tools. The author extended the work of previous researchers by investigating the effect when a suction inlet in surrounded by four walls, (as it is in a test cell). A previously suspected but not documented small region of unsteady vortex was discovered to lie between the steady vortex and no vortex regions. The preferential attachment of the vortex, when formed, to a particular surface was investigated and a low velocity region near that surface has been proven as a possible cause. A cell bypass ratio > 90% was found to be necessary to avoid the formation of vortices in typical situations. Parametric studies (conducted cetaris paribus) on four different geometries and flow parameters were also conducted to determine how they affected the vortex formation threshold. Boundary layer thickness on the vortex attachment surface, upstream vorticity, size of suction inlet was found to have a direct relationship with probability of vortex formation whereas Reynolds number of flow was found to have an inverse relationship. Three hypotheses regarding the generation and propagation of infrasound in test cells were analysed. The first hypothesis states that the fluctuating of flow within the test cell led to a periodic fluctuation of pressure. The second hypothesis predicts a change in flow conditions can leads to a change in the acoustic reflection characteristics of the blast basket perforates. The final hypothesis proposes that changing engine location and size of augmenter, can lead to a reduction in the slip velocity between the engine exhaust jet and the cell bypass flow thus reducing the engine jet noise. The first hypothesis has been disproved using CFD techniques, although the results are as yet inconclusive. The second and third hypotheses have been proven to be potentially feasible techniques to be employed in the future. The changes proposed in the final hypothesis are shown to reduce the engine jet noise by up to 5 dB.

Wireless sensor network (WSN) has become a hot topic lately. By using WSN things that previously were difficult or impossible to measure has now become available. One of the main reasons using WSN for monitoring is to save money by cost optimization and/or increase safety by letting the user knowing the physical status of the monitored structure. This thesis considers four main topics, empirical testing of WSN in harsh environments, antenna designs, antenna measurements and radio environment emulation. The WSN has been tested in train environment for monitoring of ball bearings and inside jet engines to monitor strain of blades and temperatures. In total, two investigations have been performed aboard the train wagon and one in the jet engine. The trials have been successful and provide knowledge of the difficulties with practical WSN applications. The key issues for WSN are robust communication, energy management (including scavenging) and physical robustness. For the applications of WSN in harsh environments antennas has to be designed. In the thesis, two antennas has been designed, one for train environment and one for the receiver in the jet engine. In the train environment, a more isotropic radiation pattern is preferable; hence a small dual layered patch antenna is designed. The antenna is at the limit of being electrically small; hence slightly lower radiation efficiency is measured. For the WSN in the jet engine, a directive patch array is designed on an ultra-thin and flexible substrate. The thin substrate of the antenna causes rather lower radiation efficiency. But the antenna fulfils the requirements of being conformal and directive. In reverberation chambers are used to measure antennas, but there are difficulties to provide a realistic radio environment, for example outdoor or on-body. In this thesis, a large reverberation chamber is designed and verified. It enables measurement between 400 MHz and 3 GHz. Also, a sample selection method is designed to provide a post processing possibilities to emulate the radio environment inside the chamber. The method is to select samples from a data set that corresponds to a desired probability density function. The method presented in this thesis is extremely fast but the implementation of the method is left for future research. / WISENET / WiseJet

Les particules de suie émises par les moteurs d'avion influencent le climat en absorbant/diffusant la lumière solaire. Elles agissent aussi comme noyaux glaciogènes dans l’atmosphère en participant à la formation des traînées de condensation et des cirrus artificiels, ce qui augmente la nébulosité et affecte l'équilibre radiatif de l'atmosphère. Dans les zones aéroportuaires, elles contribuent à la dégradation de la qualité de l’air et peuvent affecter la santé humaine. Connaître leurs propriétés physico-chimiques est donc primordial pour évaluer leurs impacts environnementaux, sanitaires et agir pour leur réglementation. Nous avons caractérisé les propriétés physiques et chimiques de suies émises par un turboréacteur SaM146-1S17 alimenté avec du kérosène JET A-1 et fonctionnant à différents régimes, dont le régime de croisière. Des informations précises sur leur morphologie, leur (nano)structure, leur composition/spéciation chimique ont été obtenues par microscopie électronique à transmission (TEM), spectroscopie infra-rouge (FTIR), spectroscopie d'absorption des rayons X (NEXAFS) et photoémission X (XPS). Ces techniques ont également permis de caractériser des suies de laboratoire produites par un générateur commercial (miniCAST, Jing Ltd.) et de montrer qu’il permet de générer de bons analogues des suies aéronautiques. La production de quantités importantes de ces analogues aux propriétés physico-chimiques contrôlées offre de nouvelles perspectives quant à l’étude en laboratoire de la réactivité des suies aéronautiques vis-à-vis des environnements atmosphériques et biologiques, permettant d’améliorer notre compréhension de leurs impacts environnementaux et sanitaires. / Soot particles emitted from aircraft engines influence climate by absorbing and scattering sunlight. They also act as ice condensation nuclei in the atmosphere by participating to the formation of condensation trails and artificial cirrus clouds that increase the cloudiness and affects the radiative balance of the Earth’s atmosphere. In airport areas, they contribute to the degradation of air quality and can affect human health. Knowing their physical and chemical properties is therefore of prime importance to assess their environmental and health impacts as well as acting for their regulation. We have characterized physical and chemical properties of soot emitted by a SaM146-1S17 turbofan engine fueled with kerosene JET A-1 and operated at different regimes, including the cruise regime. Accurate information about their morphology, (nano)structure, chemical composition/speciation have been obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). These techniques have also been used to characterize laboratory soot produced by a commercial generator (miniCAST, Jing Ltd.) and to show that it can generate relevant analogues of aeronautic soot. The production of large amounts of these analogues with controlled physico-chemical properties offers new prospects for laboratory studies of aeronautic soot’s reactivity with respect to atmospheric and biological environments aiming at improving our understanding of their environmental and health impacts.

The diploma thesis describes search for propriate change of small jet engine exhaust, based on temperature and velocity flowfield analysis in CFD code Fluent V6.

The diploma thesis deals with the design, load calculation and stress analysis of a composite wing construction of an airplane based on the construction of the airplane VUT 001 Marabu in order to fulfil conditions of CS-22 specifications. As a part of the thesis are basic mass, moment and aerodynamic characteristic of the airplane analyzed. Also the modification of the center part of the fuselage is designed in order to enable a jet engine instalation inside the construction.

This master thesis deals with the understanding of the secondary air system of athree spool turbofan. The main purpose is the creation of secondary air systemand thermal models to evaluate the behavior of this kind of engine architectureand estimate the pros and cons in comparison with a typical two spool turbofan. Afinite element model of the secondary air system of the engine has been designedbased on the experience of typical jet engines manufactured by Snecma. Theinner thermodynamic pattern and mass flow rates of the engine were obtained.Some local improvements were then made by making analogies with the enginesmanufactured by Snecma. After having communicated the results to theperformance unit to get updates thermodynamic cycles, a quite reliable model wasobtained and can be used as a reference for further studies of this kind of engineat Snecma.

In the highly competitive aerospace industry, engine manufacturers must react very quickly and precisely to any demand emerging from aircraft manufacturers if they want to be positioned on the offer. This is especially true when answering to Requests For Information (RFI) based on preliminary design investigations of first level. In order to reduce the time needed to perform these costly operations while improving the performances achieved, Snecma wishes to develop tools for dimensioning the engine and also for assessing key parameters such as mass, emissions, fuel burn, costs, etc. Unfortunately, the set of tools and the process used at the present time for preliminary design investigations of first level are not sufficient to meet the high standards sought-after by the company in terms of time and performances. As a consequence, efforts must be spent on redefining the whole process and the tools it is based on; here is the mission that has been conferred upon me.   Multiple exchanges with performances engineers and specialists allowed to draw the current process for preliminary design investigations of first level and raise all the associated concerns. At the same time, a status of the existing tools (called modules in this report), mainly developed under Excel, has been realised in order to identify the range of action for today's investigations. A prototype has been developed under SDK Python with the aim of proving the feasibility of a solution to a difficulty that shows up in the process for each new investigation: the one of generating the workflow on the optimisation software Optimus. A target process has finally been discussed considering all the information collected, and would allow dividing by five the time needed to perform investigations compare to now. The prototype developed lead to interesting results and this solution could thus probably be integrated in the target process as it would allow saving one day of work for an engineer for each study to be carried out.   Solutions have been proposed to all the concerns identified in the process and they will have to be discussed with many actors and investigated further in the near future in order to set the target process that will allow meeting the final objective of answering all types of RFIs emitted by aircraft manufacturer in a very short time with a high level of confidence in the results.

This master thesis deals with the understanding of the secondary air system of athree spool turbofan. The main purpose is the creation of secondary air systemand thermal models to evaluate the behavior of this kind of engine architectureand estimate the pros and cons in comparison with a typical two spool turbofan. Afinite element model of the secondary air system of the engine has been designedbased on the experience of typical jet engines manufactured by Snecma. Theinner thermodynamic pattern and mass flow rates of the engine were obtained.Some local improvements were then made by making analogies with the enginesmanufactured by Snecma. After having communicated the results to theperformance unit to get updates thermodynamic cycles, a quite reliable model wasobtained and

In-person engineering instruction relies on the availability of equipment and space. Cost, safety, and scheduling may pose barriers to conducting in-person labs. Virtual experiments may be used to enhance the student experience by, for example, incorporating pre-labs for in-person experiments and providing access to equipment that cannot be safely used in-person. Virtual learning is used in many fields, but there remain questions as to how it should be employed in engineering, an area largely reliant on in-person lab and classroom setups. Earlier studies reviewed the advantages of virtual labs such as demonstrating hard-to-observe phenomena and allowing unlimited trials. This project attempts to leverage these strengths by developing experiments on three virtual platforms: LabVIEW, MATLAB, and Unity. The first version of the Jet Engine Virtual Laboratory is developed in LabVIEW and implemented in UCF's Measurements 1 course during Summer 2020. Student feedback is sought using a survey that suggests positive reception and informs the creation of a MATLAB version of the Jet Engine Virtual Laboratory which is being implemented in Fall 2020. A Unity version of this experiment is in production. This project is expected to fuel the development of more virtual experiments that enhance engineering education at UCF and beyond.