THree strEam commercial and Military Engines (THEME)

Purpose and goal:

The project THEME aims to better understand how engines which utilize three parallel air flows can improve the performance of aircraft with varying thrust need and high, variable cooling needs. In addition the aim is to enable design of components for aircraft engines with a third air duct, by describing requirements and dimensions for these components.

The project goal is to lay out a design for an aircraft engine with three integrated air stream which is adapted to an aircraft´s thrust and cooling need in several operational points. Expected results and effects:

A desired effect of the project is an improved understanding of the advantages which causes several aircraft manufacturers to present concepts for three stream engines, which will form a technical platform for participation in development of such engines in an bilateral or European context. The result will be a description of an engine concept in the form of thermodynamic performance and a simplified aerodynamic model of the two outer flows.

We expect that the initial studies in this project will also make it possible to outline a wider project goal with the aim to hire a PhD student. Approach and implementation:

The project is divided into three parts. In Engine Performance Model the start will be an application aircraft and associated flight mission with varying thrust need in multiple operational points. In Cooling System Requirements the need of the engines subsystems and plausible cooling needs for aircraft will be quantified.

Finally, in Integrated Cooling Flow the third duct will be designed, including components for division of the air stream, diffusion and heat exchange as well as mixing of bypass flows, or alternatively exhaust through separate, possibly variable nozzles.