CBL - Campus del Baix Llobregat

Projecte llegit

Títol: Optimization of fuel tanks configuration for using hydrogen as solely fuel for A320 aircraft

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: ROJAS GREGORIO, JOSEP IGNASI

Departament: FIS

Títol: Optimization of fuel tanks configuration for using hydrogen as solely fuel for A320 aircraft

Data inici oferta: 15-01-2022     Data finalització oferta: 15-09-2022


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    GR ENG SIST AEROESP
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: EETAC
 
Paraules clau:
alternative fuel; aircraft; wind tunnel; CFD; computational fluid dynamics; sustainibility; aerodynamics
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
The use of lower density, cleaner fuels (e.g., hydrogen-methane blends, instead of classical fuels like kerosene, gasoline or diesel), has an impact on fuel tank size for a given vehicle range. The main objective of this research is to characterize the effect of the larger fuel tanks associated with these alternative fuels on the aerodynamic performances of a commercial civil aviation aircraft. The research will be done by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis and wind tunnel experimental campaigns.

Tasa al queroseno reduciría las emisiones:
https://www.elsaltodiario.com/cambio-climatico/aviacion-gravar-queroseno-libre-impuestos-reduciria-emisiones?fbclid=IwAR0h8JFQC35JzAuy70NnhLga34DAfzXtxLSPtsDW1E-OO-j67vcl3hxBrc0

The procedure and methodology will be as follows:

1. Literature review and analysis of relevant bibliography
2. Discuss the need of use an alternative fuel
3. Formation on appropriate software packages and codes, e.g., ANSYS CFX, SOLIDWORKS, etc.
4. Propose one or two new configurations for storing the fuel (Hydrogen), making the minimum modifications to the actual design of a given commercial airplane, e.g., A320
a. Calculate the equivalent volume of fuel for similar airplane performances
b. Discuss the design requirements of the hydrogen fuel tank for aerospace applications
c. Discuss the possibility to reallocate the fuel tank(s) in the airplane
5. CFD analysis of the problem:
a. design of CAD geometry, e.g., with Solid Works, Solid Edge or SpaceClaim (from ANSYS)
b. meshing of the fluid problem, e.g., with GMSH, meshing tool from ANSYS or ICEM CFD
c. solving the problem with suitable solver, e.g., with ANSYS CFX-(pre/solver)
d. post-processing of CFD results, e.g., with ANSYS CFX-post
6. CFD optimization analysis
a. Define input parameters (design parameters) and the output parameters (e.g., pressure, drag forces) in the CAD design with SpaceClaim
b. Identify the best design parameters for minimizing negative effects of the proposed aircraft configuration
7. *Wind tunnel tests on a mock-up model of the geometry, printed with 3D printer
8. *Calibration of results from CFD simulations with wind tunnel test results
9. Processing of results
10. Draw conclusions from the study
11. Write thesis and prepare final presentation
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
By the end of the second decade of the second millennium, humanity feels upcoming difficulties that threat our normal development. One of the most important one seems to be the descry of the end of the fossil fuel reserves. If this situation comes true and no feasible alternative has been found, the situation may lead to a world crisis and eventually a full collapse. Moreover, a reduction and rationalization of the fossil fuel consumption in the mid- and long-term as unique measures do not seem to be an alternative, due to the high demand and the high amount of Green House Gasses (GHG) emissions.

Among all the possibilities, hydrogen (either if it is directly used as fuel or in the form of hydrogen cells) seems one of the most promising alternative to fossil fuels. The combustion of hydrogen does not produce GHGs, but the main drawback is that the total fuel volume necessary for producing the same amount of energy is much higher. This project consists in the implementation of hydrogen as the unique fuel source in a commercial airplane A320, proposing two completely new fuel tank configurations for achieving the standard performances of an A320. The proposed modifications, which might have an important impact on the airplane performances, will be studied individually and all together with the overall airplane through multiple computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, in order to minimize the increase of aerodynamic drag, the reduction of lift, and the impact on the pitching moment. For that purpose, some tank design parameters are set, and several optimization problems are run for deciding the optimal tank design. Then, we study various locations of the tanks to see as well the impacts on the performances.

The study concludes stating that storing the fuel in external cylindrical tanks over the wing and the vertical stabiliser achieve highly competitive aerodynamic performances, with respect to the conventional A320 design. To verify the previous results, two scale mock-up models are 3D-printed: one of a conventional A320 aircraft and one of a proposed modified aircraft configuration, identified as the most interesting. In order to compare the numerical simulation results with experimental results, a wind tunnel testing campaign is performed for the scale models mentioned above.



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