Sustainability and thermo-ecologic assessments of a turbojet engine at simulated flight conditions

Abstract

Aviation and aircraft-induced environmental issues are hot topics in the last decade. In this manner, it is important to measure sustainability and ecologic performance of aircraft engines. In the current study, sustainability indicators of a turbojet engine are determined for simulated flight conditions whereas thermo-ecological parameters formerly defined for energy systems are also derived and adapted for the examined turbojet engine for the first time. According to the exergy analysis of overall engine, exergy destruction and exergy loss rates are found to be 40,213.66 kW and 2444.84 kW while input exergy rate of the turbojet engine is 46,158.93 kW. Exergy efficiency, waste exergy ratio, recoverable exergy rate, exergy destruction factor, environmental effect factor, and exergetic sustainability index are found to be 0.0758, 0.9241, 0.00, 0.8712, 12.1951, and 0.0820, respectively, in the end of the sustainability assessment. On the other hand ecological coefficient of performance is calculated to be 0.087 for the turbojet engine under examination. The present paper is expected to be beneficial for researchers interested in aerospace and environmental sciences.