Evaluation of applicability of empirical models of turbine performance to aircraft engine

Abstract

A turbine is the essential component of aircraft engines. The empirical models of turbine performance, including the characteristics of isentropic efficiency and mass flow rate, are important for the control- and diagnostics-oriented dynamic simulation of aircraft engines. They are also useful for the energy analysis and performance simulation of aircraft engines. A number of empirical models of turbine isentropic efficiency and mass flow rate are available. Most of them, however, are for turbocharger, automotive and marine engine turbines, and air-cycle refrigeration turbines used in aircraft environmental control systems, and those for aircraft engine turbines are scarce. This paper presents a comprehensive review on empirical models of turbine isentropic efficiency and mass flow rate, and their applicability to aircraft engine turbines is evaluated against the turbine performance maps of five different aircraft engine turbines. It is found that the accuracy of the models varies with turbines. The results show that it is very likely feasible to use empirical models developed for other types of turbines for the energy analysis, performance simulation, and control- and diagnostics-oriented dynamic simulation of an aircraft engine turbine if proper models are chosen, and that it remains a research topic to develop a more accurate empirical model for turbine performance of aircraft engines.