Creating a Turboprop Powered Aircraft Example

Creating a Turboprop Powered Aircraft Example#

Here we will create an aircraft using a more advanced EngineModel, the TurbopropModel. This is a more complicated type of engine that combines several different models into a single unit. The TurbopropModel has three individual pieces needed to create it - a “shaft power model” that describes how the turboprop turns energy into shaft power, such as a turboshaft or motor, a “gearbox model” for adjusting the shaft RPM, and a “propeller model” to convert shaft power into thrust. Let’s walk through two examples: first building a turboprop-powered aircraft with a minimum amount of information, and then a second example where we electrify the aircraft by replacing the default models in the TurbopropModel with custom ones.

Basic Turboprop Aircraft Example#

import aviary.api as av
from aviary.models.aircraft.large_turboprop_freighter.phase_info import two_dof_phase_info

Aircraft = av.Aircraft
Mission = av.Mission
Dynamic = av.Dynamic

# define the minimum option set for a turboprop
options = av.AviaryValues()

# top-level turboprop settings
options.set_val(av.Settings.VERBOSITY, 0)  # quiet unneeded printouts
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.FIXED_RPM, 13820, units='rpm')

# EngineDeck minimum option set
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.DATA_FILE, av.get_path('models/engines/turboshaft_4465hp.csv'))

# Gearbox model minimum option set
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.Gearbox.GEAR_RATIO, 13.55, 'unitless')
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.Gearbox.SHAFT_POWER_DESIGN, 4465, 'hp')

# Hamilton Standard propeller minimum option set
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.Propeller.TIP_MACH_MAX, 1.0)
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.Propeller.NUM_BLADES, val=4, units='unitless')
options.set_val(Aircraft.Engine.Propeller.COMPUTE_INSTALLATION_LOSS, True)

# Initialize turboprop model. Model uses an EngineDeck built from `options`, basic
# gearbox model with default efficiency of 1, and the Hamilton Standard propeller model
# "turboprop" is ready to be included in an AviaryProblem
turboprop = av.TurbopropModel(name='turboprop_example', options=options)

# Build and run AviaryProblem using the Level2 interface
prob = av.AviaryProblem()

prob.load_inputs(
    'models/aircraft/large_turboprop_freighter/large_turboprop_freighter_GASP.csv',
    two_dof_phase_info,
    engine_builders=[turboprop],
)

prob.check_and_preprocess_inputs()

prob.build_model()
prob.add_driver('IPOPT', max_iter=0, verbosity=0)
prob.add_design_variables()
prob.add_objective()
prob.setup()
prob.run_aviary_problem(suppress_solver_print=True, make_plots=False)

/usr/share/miniconda/envs/test/lib/python3.12/site-packages/pyoptsparse/pyOpt_MPI.py:68: UserWarning: mpi4py could not be imported. mpi4py is required to use the parallel gradient analysis and parallel objective analysis for non-gradient based optimizers. Continuing using a dummy MPI module from pyOptSparse.
  warnings.warn(warn)

Warning: As-flown cargo mass was specified but design cargo mass and max cargo mass were not. To maintain backwards-compatibility with converted GASP files, setting max cargo mass to 0 and maximum and design cargo masses to zero.

Warning: As-flown payload (11400.0) is greater than design payload (0.0). The aircraft will be undersized for this payload!

Warning: Mount location for engines of type <turboprop_example> not specified. Wing-mounted engines are assumed.

No design variables for Fallout missions

'rhs_checking' is disabled for 'DirectSolver in 'traj.phases.ascent' <class Phase>' but that solver has redundant adjoint solves. If it is expensive to compute derivatives for this solver, turning on 'rhs_checking' may improve performance.


'rhs_checking' is disabled for 'DirectSolver in 'traj.phases.climb1' <class Phase>' but that solver has redundant adjoint solves. If it is expensive to compute derivatives for this solver, turning on 'rhs_checking' may improve performance.


'rhs_checking' is disabled for 'DirectSolver in 'traj.phases.desc1' <class Phase>' but that solver has redundant adjoint solves. If it is expensive to compute derivatives for this solver, turning on 'rhs_checking' may improve performance.

Warning: req_fuel_mass > max_wingfuel_mass, adding a body tank

/usr/share/miniconda/envs/test/lib/python3.12/site-packages/openmdao/core/total_jac.py:1698: DerivativesWarning:The following design variables have no impact on the constraints or objective at the current design point:
  aircraft:engine:gearbox:shaft_power_design, inds=[0]
  aircraft:engine:propeller:integrated_lift_coefficient, inds=[0]

Warning: 
Aviary run failed. See the dashboard for more details.

Electrified Propeller Aircraft Example#

This model is a WIP and will be coming soon

Contents