Component-based exergy modeling of three spool turboprop engine depending on the flight conditions

Abstract

Aero gas turbine engines, given their key role in aviation, have parameters that depend on flight conditions, and those parameters are extensively modeled using several approaches. Recently, energy and exergy metrics have revealed the engine's characteristics. In this study, flight-condition-based efficiency modeling is performed for the PW127-E turboprop engine and its components as employed in regional aircraft, thereby facilitating prediction of efficient operating points. Before exergetic analysis, thermodynamic data are obtained from real parametric cycle analyses for each component. Using regression analysis, energy and exergy parameters were modeled using cycle data across Mach numbers ranging from 0 to 0.6 and altitudes ranging from 0 to 6 km. Accordingly, the exergy efficiency of the combustor ranges from 71.37% to 74.37%, whereas that of the power turbine ranges from 95.46% to 96.27%. However, the exergy-destruction values for those ranges were between 1508 kW and 3121 kW and between 44.66 kW and 113.02 kW, respectively. On the other hand, R2 value of combustor exergy efficiency is computed as 0.9301 at linear model and 0.9997 at quadratic model whereas that of exergy efficiency of power turbine is measured as 0.9871 and 1, respectively. The results indicate that the exergetic parameters of components, when modeled as a function of flight conditions, exhibit a distinct pattern. Some components demonstrate nearly linear behavior, whereas others conform to a quadratic model. Due to the low model error in exergy, this study contributed significantly to the prediction of the exergetic parameters of components under flight conditions.