Gas turbine engine transient performance and heat transfer effect modelling: a comprehensive review, research challenges, and exploring the future

Gas turbine transient simulation is an important tool in analysing engine performance during changes in operating conditions. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the development of gas turbine transient simulation, heat transfer effect on transient performance and transient simulation platforms over the past 70 years. The paper highlights the various methods used for gas turbine overall transient simulation, including white box approach, black box approach and numerical approach, and the development of models for heat transfer effects, including heat soakage, tip clearance, and component characteristic changes. Besides, the development of gas turbine transient simulation platforms has been included. Challenges that need to be addressed to achieve more accurate simulations are identified. For white and black box approaches, complex engine dynamics phenomena and heat transfer effects urge the development of methodologies. For the numerical approach, the high computational and geometry demand for the full-size gas turbine transient model slows the CFD application in gas turbine overall transient simulation. For heat transfer effect simulation, the increasing complexity of engine structures and cooling techniques urges the development of a more realistic heat soakage model. The paper suggests that the white box approach can benefit from a method that accurately models several thermal dynamics. The black box methodologies should consider the heat transfer effect during the modelling and training. And more attention should be paid to the full-size gas turbine transient model development. Additionally, the paper recommends the development of a more complete heat transfer model that includes axial clearance effects, detailed combustor heat transfer models, and advanced component maps.