Browsing by Author "Mastropierro, Francesco"
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Item Open Access Assessment of the BWB aircraft for military transport(Emerald, 2020-04-06) Kissoon, Sajal; Mastropierro, Francesco; Nalianda, Devaiah; Rolt, Andrew Martin; Sethi, BobbyPurpose The growth in air mobility, rising fuel prices and ambitious targets in emission reduction are some of the driving factors behind research towards more efficient aircraft. The purpose of this paper is to assess the application of a blended wing body (BWB) aircraft configuration with turbo-electric distributed propulsion in the military sector and to highlight the potential benefits that could be achieved for long-range and heavy payload applications. Design/methodology/approach Mission performance has been simulated using a point-mass approach and an engine performance code (TURBOMATCH) for the propulsion system. Payload-range charts were created to compare the performance of a BWB aircraft with various different fuels against the existing Boeing 777-200LR as a baseline. Findings When using kerosene, an increase in payload of 42 per cent was achieved but the use of liquefied natural gas enabled a 50 per cent payload increase over a design range of 7,500 NM. When liquid hydrogen (LH2) is used, the range may be limited to about 3,000 NM by the volume available for this low-density fuel, but the payload at this range could be increased by 137 per cent to 127,000 kg. Originality/value The results presented to estimate the extent to which the efficiency of military operations could be improved by making fewer trips to transport high-density and irregular cargo items and indicate how well the proposed alternatives would compare with present military aircraft. There are no existing NATO aircraft with such extended payload and range capacities. This paper, therefore, explores the potential of BWB aircraft with turbo-electric distributed propulsion as effective military transports.Item Open Access Design and Integration of a Hybrid Electric Fan Propulsion System(Cranfield University, 2018-10-18 10:00) Mastropierro, FrancescoPoster presented at the Cranfield Doctoral Network Annual Event, September 2018.Design and Integration of an Electric Fan Propulsion System for Hybrid Aircraft Electrification is one of the most promising trend for sustaining future aviation beyond the limits of current propulsion technologies. Advantages include lower emissions, higher efficiency components, better energy management and synergies with alternative technologies. Current limits are in higher costs, inferior power density and shorter ranges. Hybrid electric propulsion looks for synergies between current state-of-the-art engines and novel electric motors/batteries, the latter considered as black boxes.The research project aims to investigate quantitatively the unexplored design space for an electric fan propulsion system fitted on a specifically-designed nacelle for regional aircraft. The study entails with the assessments of the overall arrangement and geometry design, evaluating effects of internal pressure losses and cooling air requirements. A viable solution for the organization of the internal volume is the installation of a variable area nozzle. Its adoption would optimise fan performance along a defined mission, allowing a consistent reduction in power and size of electrical components, estimated up to 15%.Additional objectives are the assessment of critical integration aspects of the hybrid technology, such as trade-offs between size and weight of units, degree of hybridization, strategies for efficient energy usage. A techno-economic assessment would top the project, defining viability and economic feasibility of the technology. A realistic evaluation of the uncertainties associated will be included as it is essential to provide solid background to any result.The research uses a combination of dedicated performance software and mainly relies on CFD calculations for the investigation of the internal flows.The project is relevant in the context of evolving aerospace industry, as major companies are consistently investing in electric aviation. It provides contribution to existing knowledge and foundation for future research in the field, both at academic and industrial level.