Advanced Turboshaft Engine/Drivetrain Modeling Technique for Real Time Rotorcraft Simulation

Modeling engine and drivetrain (i.e., propulsion system) dynamics and control is a vital part of modern rotorcraft simulation as they are closely coupled with the rotor dynamics and impact the aircraft performance and transient response. The current engine modeling method for real time rotorcraft simulation relies heavily on empirical estimation and, hence, is severely limited by the availability of the data and also suffers from an inaccuracy in predicting the engine/drivetrain transient states. The proposed SBIR is dedicated to the development of a first principle based engine and drivetrain dynamics and control modeling method that will reflect rotorcraft propulsion system physics and provide an accurate simulation solution. The proposed solution will be rigorously formulated and applicable for generic turboshaft engine/drivetrain modeling. The formulation will consider the entire engine operational range including start-up, idle, started, and shut-down. The simulation implementation will also address the interaction with the engine fuel control dynamics and the drivetrain/rotor coupling for a fully integrated solution. The engine dynamic model will be developed in modular form so that it can be easily integrated with rotorcraft flight simulation programs or used as a standalone model as a plug-in in any analysis program in support of engine dynamics and engine control analysis. The physics-based solution thus developed will be tested and evaluated in an industry standard rotorcraft modeling and simulation program to validate the methodology in support of rotorcraft analysis and flight simulation.