A Comparative Study of Genetic Algorithm Parameters for the Inverse Problem-based Fault Diagnosis of Liquid Rocket Propulsion Systems

Fault diagnosis of liquid rocket propulsion systems （LRPSs） is a very important issue in space launch activities particularly when manned space missions are accompanied, since the safety and reliability can be significantly enhanced by exploiting an efficient fault diagnosis system. Currently, inverse problem-based diagnosis has attracted a great deal of research attention in fault diagnosis domain. This methodology provides a new strategy to model-based fault diagnosis for monitoring the health of propulsion systems. To solve the inverse problems arising from the fault diagnosis of LRPSs, GAs have been adopted in recent years as the first and effective choice of available numerical optimization tools. However, the GA has many control parameters to be chosen in advance and there still lack sound theoretical tools to analyze the effects of these parameters on diagnostic performance analytically. In this paper a comparative study of the influence of GA parameters on diagnostic results is conducted by performing a series of numerical experiments. The objective of this study is to investigate the contribution of individual algorithm parameter to final diagnostic result and provide reasonable estimates for choosing GA parameters in the inverse problem-based fault diagnosis of LRPSs. Some constructive remarks are made in conclusion and will be helpful for the implementation of GA to the fault diagnosis practice of LRPSs in the future.

Utilisation of turboelectric distribution propulsion in commercial aviation:A review on NASA's TeDP concept

Emissions produced by the aviation industry are currently a severe environmental threat;therefore,aviation agencies and governments have set emission targets and formulated plans to restrict emissions within the next decade.Hybrid aircraft technology is being considered to meet these targets.The importance of these technologies lies in their advancements in terms of aircraft life cycles and environmental benignity.Owing to these advancements,hybrid electric systems with more than one power source have become promising for the aviation industry,considering that the growth of air traffic is projected to double in the next decade.Hybrid technologies have given future hybrid fans and motor-fan engines potential as alternative power generators.Herein,Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion(TeDP)is discussed in terms of power distribution and power sources.The fundamentals of turbofan and turboshaft engines are presented along with their electricitygeneration mechanism.TeDP is discussed from a design viewpoint,with a detailed discussion of different types of hybrid electric and turboelectric systems.Examples of proposed TeDP aircraft models and numerical modelling tools used to simulate the performance of TeDP models are reviewed.Finally,innovative turboelectric systems in which electric power savers and mechanical gear changers have been discarded for weight optimisation are presented along with other prospective models,engines,approaches,and architectures.The findings of this review indicate the knowledge gaps in the field of numerical modelling for NASA’s TeDP and its capability to increase the efficiency by up to 24%with a 50%reduction in emissions relative to those of conventional gas turbines.

Comparative performance analysis of combinedcycle pulse detonation turbofan engines (PDTEs)

Combined-cycle pulse detonation engines are promising contenders for hypersonic propulsion systems.In the present study,design and propulsive performance analysis of combined-cycle pulse detonation turbofan engines(PDTEs)is presented.Analysis is done with respect to Mach number at two consecutive modes of operation:(1)Combined-cycle PDTE using a pulse detonation afterburner mode(PDA-mode)and(2)combined-cycle PDTE in pulse detonation ramjet engine mode(PDRE-mode).The performance of combined-cycle PDTEs is compared with baseline afterbuming turbofan and ramjet engines.The comparison of afterburning modes is done for Mach numbers from 0 to 3 at 15.24 km altitude conditions,while that of pulse detonation ramjet engine(PDRE)is done for Mach 1.5 to Mach 6 at 18.3 km altitude conditions.The analysis shows that the propulsive performance of a tubine engine can be greatly improved by replacing the conventional afterbumer with a pulse detonation afterburner(PDA).The PDRE also outperforms its ramjet counterpart at all flight conditions considered herein.The gains obtained are outstanding for both the combined-cycle PDTE modes compared to baseline turbofan and ramjet engines.

Drag force investigation of cavities with different geometric configurations in supersonic flow

In order to prolong the residence time of the flow retaining in the supersonic flow, wall cavity has been widely applied in the scramjet combustor, and this affects the aerodynamic surface and imposes additional drag force on the hypersonic propulsion system. The two-dimensional coupled implicit Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and the RNG k?ε turbulent model were employed to investigate the flow fields of cavities with different geometric configurations, namely the classical rectangular, triangular and semi-circular, and the cavities with the fixed depth and length-to-depth ratio. At the same time, the drag force performances of the cavities were estimated and compared. The obtained results show that the numerical results are in very good agreement with the experimental data, and the different scales of grid make only a slight difference from the numerical results. The intensity of the trailing shock wave is much stronger than that of the leading one, and the area around the trailing edge of the cavities plays an important role in the chemical reaction in the scramjet combustor. With the fixed depth and length-to-depth ratio, the triangular cavity can strengthen the turbulent combustion in the scramjet combustor further, but impose the most additional drag force on the scramjet engine. The classical rectangular one can impose the least additional drag force on the engine, but the function of strengthening the combustion is the weakest. The influence of the semi-circular one is the moderate, but the machining process is more complex than the other two configurations.