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Aerospace
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Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization
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Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Aeronautics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 28004

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Salvatore Corcione

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Assistant Professor of Flight Mechanics at Department of Industrial Engineering; University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Napoli NA, Italy
Interests: aircraft design; flight mechanics; applied aerodynamics; experimental aerodynamics; computational aerodynamics; hybrid-electric aircraft design; design engineering; fluid dynamics; general aviation; multidisciplinary design optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

While the age of large, propeller-powered passenger aircraft ended with the advent of jets in the 1950s, smaller regional turboprop aircraft continue to operate over shorter routes. 

In spite of the success of jets, turboprop engines typically consume around one-quarter to one-third less fuel than the equivalent jets, leading to a potential reduction in the amount of consumed fuel as well as pollutant emissions. On short routes, jets barely take off before they start descending again. By switching business or transport jets typically operated on short/medium hauls to turboprops, large-scale benefits in terms of emission and aviation footprint could be achieved.

Commuter and regional turboprop aircraft also represent promising platforms to apply electric or hybrid propulsion systems, since the current state of the art of energy storage and power density technologies certainly apply to relatively short ranges.

Innovative turboprop concepts or enhanced designs could make a significant difference on shorter and less dense routes around the world. Although turboprops will not be “the” solution to modern aviation’s needs, it is really intriguing to see how an “old fashioned” design could represent a possible solution to certain contemporary problems in aviation.

It is intended that this Special Issue “Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization” will serve as a venue for discussions about innovative turboprop concepts, application of enabling technologies (e.g., boundary layer ingestion, alternative fuel, smart structures, low noise propellers, etc.), electric and/or hybrid propulsions systems, development of enhanced methodologies, tools for turboprop design analysis and optimization, case studies, and datasets.

This Special Issue is open to the full range of article types, as we wish to leave it up to the authors to shape it accordingly to our interests and the relevant research topics.

Dr. Salvatore Corcione
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • innovative turboprop concepts
  • hybrid-electric propulsion system
  • design
  • optimization
  • enabling technologies

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 12226 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Take-Off Performance for an Electric Commuter Aircraft Due to Distributed Electric Propulsion
by Vincenzo Cusati, Salvatore Corcione, Fabrizio Nicolosi and Qinyin Zhang
Aerospace 2023, 10(3), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10030276 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2635
Abstract
The need for environmentally responsible solutions in aircraft technology is now considered the priority for global challenges related to the limited supply of traditional fuel sources and the potential global hazards associated with emissions produced by traditional aircraft propulsion systems. Several projects, including [...] Read more.
The need for environmentally responsible solutions in aircraft technology is now considered the priority for global challenges related to the limited supply of traditional fuel sources and the potential global hazards associated with emissions produced by traditional aircraft propulsion systems. Several projects, including research into highly advanced subsonic aircraft concepts to drastically reduce energy or fuel usage, community noise, and emissions associated with aviation, are currently ongoing. One of the proposed propulsion concepts that address European environmental goals is distributed electric propulsion. This paper deals with the detailed aerodynamic analyses of a full-electric commuter aircraft with fuel cells, which expects two primary electric motors at the wing tip and eight other electric motors distributed along the wingspan as secondary power sources. The main objective was the numerical estimation of propulsive effects in terms of lift capabilities at take-off conditions to quantify the possible reduction of take-off field length. However, the aircraft was designed from scratch, and therefore a great effort was spent to design both propellers (for the tip and distributed electric motors) and the wing flap. In this respect, several numerical tests were performed to obtain one of the best possible flap positions. This research work estimated a reduction of about 14% of the take-off field length due to only the propulsive effects. A greater reduction of up to 27%, if compared to a reference conventional commuter aircraft, could be achieved thanks to a combined effect of distributed propulsion and a refined design of the Fowler flap. On the contrary, a significant increment of pitching moment was found due to distributed propulsion that may have a non-negligible impact on the aircraft stability, control, and trim drag. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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30 pages, 9310 KiB  
Article
Design Exploration for Sustainable Regional Hybrid-Electric Aircraft: A Study Based on Technology Forecasts
by Valerio Marciello, Mario Di Stasio, Manuela Ruocco, Vittorio Trifari, Fabrizio Nicolosi, Markus Meindl, Bruno Lemoine and Priscilla Caliandro
Aerospace 2023, 10(2), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10020165 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6095
Abstract
The environmental impact of aviation in terms of noise and pollutant emissions has gained public attention in the last few years. In addition, the foreseen financial benefits of an increased energy efficiency have motivated the transport industry to invest in propulsion alternatives. This [...] Read more.
The environmental impact of aviation in terms of noise and pollutant emissions has gained public attention in the last few years. In addition, the foreseen financial benefits of an increased energy efficiency have motivated the transport industry to invest in propulsion alternatives. This work is collocated within the Clean Sky 2 project GENESIS, focused on the environmental sustainability of 50-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft from a life-cycle-based perspective to support the development of a technology roadmap for transitioning towards sustainable and competitive electric aircraft systems. While several studies have already focused on the definition of possible aircraft designs combining several propulsion systems, the novelty of the present work is to consider technology forecasts and more comprehensive indicators in the design phase. These include the performance and emissions on a 200 nmi typical mission, which reflects the most economically attractive range for aircraft in the regional class. The work proposes a complete exploration of three major technology streams for energy storage: batteries, fuel cells, and turbine internal combustion engine generators, also including possible combinations of those technologies. The exploration was carried out through the execution of several designs of experiments aiming at the identification of the most promising solutions in terms of aircraft configuration for three different time horizons: short-term, 2025–2035; medium-term, 2035–2045; and long-term, 2045–2050+. As a result, in the short-term scenario, fuel energy consumption is estimated to be reduced by around 24% with respect to conventional aircraft with the same entry-into-service year thanks to the use of hybrid propulsive systems with lithium batteries. Fuel saving increases to 45% in the medium-term horizon due to the improvement in the energy density of storage systems. By the year 2050, when hydrogen fuel cells are estimated to be mature enough to completely replace kerosene-based engines, the forthcoming hybrid-electric aircraft promise no NOx and CO2 direct emissions, while being approximately 50% heavier than conventional ones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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24 pages, 8786 KiB  
Article
Experimental Assessment of Aero-Propulsive Effects on a Large Turboprop Aircraft with Rear-Engine Installation
by Salvatore Corcione, Vincenzo Cusati, Danilo Ciliberti and Fabrizio Nicolosi
Aerospace 2023, 10(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace10010085 - 15 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2264
Abstract
This paper deals with the estimation of propulsive effects for a three-lifting surface turboprop aircraft concept, with rear engine installation at the horizontal tail tips, conceived to carry up to 130 passengers. This work is focused on how the propulsive system affects the [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the estimation of propulsive effects for a three-lifting surface turboprop aircraft concept, with rear engine installation at the horizontal tail tips, conceived to carry up to 130 passengers. This work is focused on how the propulsive system affects the horizontal tailplane aerodynamics and, consequently, the aircraft’s static stability characteristics using wind tunnel tests. Both direct and indirect propulsive effects have been estimated. The former produces moments whose values depend on the distance from the aircraft’s centre of gravity to the thrust lines and propeller disks. The latter entails a change in the angle of attack and an increment of dynamic pressure on the tailplane. Several tests were also performed on the body-empennage configuration to investigate the propulsive effects on the aircraft’s static stability without the appearance of any aerodynamic interference phenomena, especially from the canard. The output of the experimental campaign reveals a beneficial effect of the propulsive effects on the aircraft’s longitudinal stability, with an increase in the stability margin of about 2.5% and a reduction in the directional stability derivative of about 4%, attributed to the different induced drag contributions of the two horizontal tail semi-planes. Moreover, the rolling moment coefficient experiences a greater variation due to the propulsion depending on the propeller rotation direction. The outcomes of this paper allow the enhancement of the technical readiness level for the considered aircraft, giving clear indications about the feasibility of the aircraft configuration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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20 pages, 6225 KiB  
Article
Aerodynamic and Structural Aspects of a Distributed Propulsion System for Commuter Airplane
by Pavel Hospodář, Jan Klesa, Daniel Demovič and Nikola Žižkovský
Aerospace 2022, 9(11), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9110712 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3641
Abstract
In this paper, an aerodynamic and structural computation framework was produced to develop a more efficient aircraft configuration considering a wing with a distributed electric propulsion and its use in different flight missions. For that reason, a model of a regional airplane was [...] Read more.
In this paper, an aerodynamic and structural computation framework was produced to develop a more efficient aircraft configuration considering a wing with a distributed electric propulsion and its use in different flight missions. For that reason, a model of a regional airplane was used as a case study. The considered model was a nine-seat light airplane with a cruise speed of 500 km/h at an altitude 9000 m. The design of the distributed system is introduced, then the aerodynamic and structural aspects of the new wing with distributed electric propulsion system are calculated, and finally flight performances are calculated for the purpose of analysis of the DEP effect. The design of the DEP system aimed at meeting the required landing conditions and the masses of its components, such as the electric motors, the control units and the power source of the DEP system were estimated. Aerodynamic calculations included computations of different wing aspect ratios. These calculations take into account the drag of the existing airplane parts such as fuselage and tail surfaces. A modified lifting-line theory was used as a computational tool for the preliminary study. It was used to calculate the wing drag in cruise regime and to determine the distribution of aerodynamic forces and moments. Next, based on aerodynamic calculations and flight envelope, the basic skeletal parts of the wing were designed and the weight of the wing was calculated. Finally, fuel consumption calculations for different wing sizes were made and compared with the original design. The results show that a wing with a 35% reduction in area can reduce fuel consumption by more than 6% while keeping the same overall weight of the aircraft. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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18 pages, 2745 KiB  
Article
Design, Analysis, and Testing of a Scaled Propeller for an Innovative Regional Turboprop Aircraft
by Danilo Ciliberti and Fabrizio Nicolosi
Aerospace 2022, 9(5), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9050264 - 13 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5348
Abstract
This paper describes the design, numerical analyses, and wind tunnel tests of the scaled model of a propeller serving as a propulsive element for the experimental tests of an advanced regional turboprop aircraft with engines installed on the horizontal tailplane tips. The design [...] Read more.
This paper describes the design, numerical analyses, and wind tunnel tests of the scaled model of a propeller serving as a propulsive element for the experimental tests of an advanced regional turboprop aircraft with engines installed on the horizontal tailplane tips. The design has been performed by complying with the thrust similarity from the full-scale aircraft propulsive requirements. Numerical analyses with a high-fidelity aerodynamic solver confirmed that the initial design made with XROTOR would achieve the expected performance. Finally, a strengthened version of the propeller has been manufactured via 3D printing and tested in the wind tunnel. Test data include measurements of thrust as well as propeller normal force at different angles of attack. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results has been observed, enabling the propeller to be used confidently in the aircraft wind tunnel powered test campaign. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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21 pages, 28466 KiB  
Article
Effect of Progressive Integration of On-Board Systems Design Discipline in an MDA Framework for Aircraft Design with Different Level of Systems Electrification
by Marco Fioriti, Pierluigi Della Vecchia and Giuseppa Donelli
Aerospace 2022, 9(3), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace9030161 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2814
Abstract
The on-board design discipline is sometimes ignored during the first aircraft design iterations. It might be understandable when a single on-board system architecture is considered, especially when a conventional architecture is selected. However, seeing the trend towards systems electrification, multiple architectures can be [...] Read more.
The on-board design discipline is sometimes ignored during the first aircraft design iterations. It might be understandable when a single on-board system architecture is considered, especially when a conventional architecture is selected. However, seeing the trend towards systems electrification, multiple architectures can be defined and each one should be evaluated during the first tradeoff studies. In this way, the systems design discipline should be integrated from the first design iterations. This paper deals with a progressive integration of the discipline to examine the partial or total effect of the systems design inside an MDA workflow. The study is carried out from a systems design perspective, analyzing the effect of electrification on aircraft design, with different MDA workflow arrangements. Starting from a non-iterative systems design, other disciplines such as aircraft performance, engine design, and aircraft synthesis are gradually added, increasing the sensibility of the aircraft design to the different systems architectures. The results show an error of 40% in on-board systems assessment when the discipline is not fully integrated. Finally, using the workflow which allows for greater integration, interesting differences can be noted when comparing systems with different levels of electrification. A possible mass saving of 2.6% of aircraft MTOM can be reached by properly selecting the systems technologies used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turboprop Aircraft Design and Optimization)
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