AIAA Foundation Student Design Competition 2020/21

Undergraduate Team – Engine

Let’s Re-Engine the Concorde!

- Request for Proposal -

September 3, 2020
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Abstract
In the 1960s, the British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde advanced commercial aviation
immensely when it made supersonic travel a reality, using four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus
593 engines. However, Concorde was neither a commercial nor environmental success because
of its high fuel consumption, excessive noise at take-off and its high fares. It is easy to wonder
what could have been if current tools and technology were applied to that same airframe. So let
us address that!
Here we ask for proposals to replace the Olympus 593 turbojet with modern low bypass ratio
turbofans with an entry-into-service date of 2028. Reheat at take-off is to be eliminated, if
possible. It is hoped to extend the range by reducing fuel consumption and minimizing engine
mass.

A generic model of the baseline Olympus 593 is supplied and this must be replicated for
comparison of your new engine. The primary design point for the proposed engine should be
supersonic cruise conditions at 53,000 feet/Mach 2 (ISA +5⁰C), where the net thrust must be
10,000 lbf. A second “off-design” point should be rolling take-off at sea level/Mach 0.3 (ISA
+10⁰C), where the net thrust must be 33,600 lbf.

The performance and total fuel consumption of the candidate engine should be estimated over a
typical mission, stated clearly in the proposal, and compared with those of the Olympus 593.
Attention should be given to technical feasibility and integration with the Concorde airframe.

Dr. Ian Halliwell

AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion Group
Principal – NORTHWIND PROPULSION INC
E-mail: [email protected]
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CONTENTS
Page
1. Introduction 5
1.1 The Aircraft 5
1.2 The Engines 7
1.3 Future Supersonic Transport Engines 10
2. Design Objectives and Requirements 12
3. The Baseline Engine Model 13
3.1 Cruise Conditions: The Design Point 13
3.1.1 Overall Characteristics 14
3.1.2 Inlet 22
3.1.3 Low-Pressure Compressor 22
3.1.4 Inter-Compressor Duct 23
3.1.5 High-Pressure Compressor 24
3.1.6 Combustor 25
3.1.7 High-Pressure Turbine 25
3.1.8 Low-Pressure Turbine 27
3.1.9 Exhaust and Nozzle 29
3.1.10 Overall Engine 30
3.2 Take-Off Conditions: Off-Design Operation 31
4. Hints & Suggestions 35
5. Competition Expectations 36
References 37
Suggested Reading 37
Available Software and Reference Material 38
Appendix 1. Letter of Intent 40
Appendix 2. Rules and Guidelines 41
I. General Rules 41
II. Copyright 41
III. Schedule and Activity Sequences 42
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IV. Proposal Requirements 42

V. Basis for Judging 43
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1. Introduction
1.1 The Aircraft

Figure 1.1: Concorde at Supersonic Cruise

In the 1960s, the British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde represented a major milestone in

commercial aviation by halving travel times between Singapore and Melbourne and setting world
records as it crossed the Atlantic between London and Gander four times in a day (Reference 1).
However, it is recognized that Concorde was neither a commercial nor environmental success.
Between Paris and New York, the 25,000 lbm payload was only 6% of the all-up weight, with 31%
being structure and airframe, and 63% being powerplant and fuel. (Reference 2). Owing to the
high fuel burn and noise at take-off, the impact of environmental pollution was clearly intolerable.
These factors, combined with high fares, meant that significant growth of SST fleets was never
going to happen. Nevertheless, at the time, the degree of technical achievement was immense,
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especially with the tools available – area rule, slender body theory, and wind tunnels, supported
only by very rudimentary design tools in the form of slide rules and thermionic valve computers
(the IBM 7040). All of us, from students to seasoned professionals, currently have tools with
vastly more speed and capability at our disposal and we also have the benefit of the lessons learned
by the engineers who designed and built the Concorde and its engines. With that in mind, I
wondered what we could accomplish today, if we left the aircraft as it is - even though we know
we could improve its aerodynamics (L/D = 7.4 at cruise, L/D = 4.0 at take-off.) - and redesigned
the engines.

Figure 1.2: Concorde Dimensions

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1.2 The Engines

An abbreviated history of the development of the engine that eventually powered Concorde is
shown in Figure 1.3. This culminated in the Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610.

Figure 1.3: Variations of the Olympus 593

Some details of specific interest to us are reformatted in Table 1.1.

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Engine Model Olympus 593 Mk 610 turbojet

Manufacturer Rolls-Royce/SNECMA
Number of Engines 4
Max thrust per engine at take off 33,620 lbf (171,78kN) with afterburner
Max thrust per engine at supersonic cruise 10,030 lbf (44.61 kN) without afterburner
Reheat contribution to performance 20% at full thrust during take off
Fuel type A1 jet fuel
Fuel capacity 43,392 lbm (95,680 kg)
Fuel consumption at full power 23,152 lbm/hr (10,500 kg/hr)
Fuel consumption at full reheated power 49,612 lbm/hr (22,500 kg/hr)
Typical miles/gallon per passenger 17
Table 1.1: Powerplant Specifications

Certain flight conditions soon became important in the preliminary design phase of the Olympus
593 development program and remain relevant for equivalent modern engine ventures. A
“supersonic engine” is never just that, since it also must perform well over a wide range of subsonic
speeds before and after cruise conditions. Multiple design points must be considered. Each design
point has its own demands but severe compromises must always be made to ensure operational
compatibility. Unfortunately for engineers, the compromises are also driven heavily by money!

• Engine performance at cruise conditions is critical because that is where a high percentage
of the fuel is consumed; unlike a subsonic aircraft, the engines cannot be throttled back in
this region of the mission because it takes a lot of thrust to maintain sujpersonic flight
speeds in any aircraft. Often, performance at top-of-climb sizes the propulsion system.

• Take-off must be addressed because the maximumm level of absolute thrust is needed to
accelerate the aircraft from brake-release and allow it to take off within a specified distance.
However, the engine can be throttled back once the undecarriage is retracted and the drag
is reduced. This is fortunate because, as stated earlier, take-off noise is huge issue and that
is driven by jet speed. Here we seek to maximize airflow so that required momentum of
the exhaust jet can be maintained at a lower value of velocity.
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• For some aircraft, regardless of their cruise speed, a “pinch point” occurs between the net
thrust an engine can deliver and that which the airplane needs at transonic situations –
pushing thorugh the sound barrier, as it used to be called. So this mission segment may
turn out to size the engine.

Some values of relevant parameters are shown in Table 1.2.

Cruise End of Runway T. O. Max Climb
Mach Number 2.0 0.302 1.2
Altitude (ft) 53,000 0 40,000
Conditions ISA + 5⁰C ISA + 10⁰C ISA + 5⁰C
Inlet Pressure Recovery 0.937 0.986 0.986
After burner Off On On
Net Thrust (lbf) 10,030 33,620 13,610
Specific Fuel Consumption 1.19 1.39 1.41
(lbm/lbf/hr
Table 1.2: Performance Data per Engine at Critical Flight Conditions

The Concorde program demonstrated quite dramatically that relatively small increases in the
weight of engines, airframe or fuel load result in dramatic reductions in either range or payload
(Reference 2.), so improving fuel consumption to save, say, 2% of aircraft gross weight is of no
value if it is offset by corresponding increase in engine weight.
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Figure 1.4: Olympus 593 Mk 610 Cross-Section

Figure 1.4 is a cross-section of the Olympus 593 Mk 610 engine, which illustrates the flowpath
geometry and the general categories of materials used. Of course, the latter correspond to
prevailing temperatures. The figure omits the inlet and nozzle. The overall length (159 inches)
in Figure 1.3 corresponds to the distance between the leading edge of the inlet centerbody and the
trailing edge of the large turbine exit strut. The diameter (47.75 inches) corresponds to the fan tip
value. The dry weight (7000 lbm) in the data of Figure 1.3 excludes the inlet, the tailpipe and the
nozzle and covers what is shown in Figure 1.4.

1.3 Future Supersonic Transport Engines

𝑉𝑎
Since 𝑠𝑓𝑐 = ⁄𝜂 𝜂 𝑄 , to obtain low specific fuel consumption we require an engine that
𝑇𝐻 𝑃

combines high thermal efficiency with high propulsive efficiency. A simple turbojet has high ηTH
only at high T41 and high ηP only at low T41, but a turbofan engine allows a high 𝜂 𝑇𝐻 𝜂𝑃 product
to be achieved by employing a high T41 but transferring energy from its core stream to a bypass
stream, from which the jet velocity is much lower. The early quest for fuel economy have led
directly to lower emissions at cruise and, somewhat indirectly, to low noise at take-off. Both of
these have benefitted us immensely, in light of the tremendous growth of aviation over the past
seventy years. In recent years, subsonic commercial aviation has been dominated by higher and
higher bypass ratio propulsion systems, enabled by higher turbine entry temperatures based on
improved turbine materials and cooling technology. For supersonic missions, the use of turbofans
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– although of limited bypass ratio – is extremely attractive to optimize fuel burn at cruise and
reduce noise at take-off by maximizing engine airflow. Reference 2 discusses this extensively.
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2. Design Objectives and Requirements

• A new low bypass ratio mixed turbofan engine design is required for the existing Concorde
airframe, with an entry-into-service date of 2028. Four engines will be used.

• The existing inlet will be retained. Assume inlet pressure recovery values from Table 2.

• The primary design point for the new engine should be supersonic cruise conditions at
53,000 feet/Mach 2 (ISA +5⁰C). The net thrust must be 10,000 lbf.

• The second “off-design” point should be rolling take-off at sea level/Mach 0.3 (ISA
+10⁰C). The net thrust must be 33,600 lbf.

• Reheat at take-off is to be eliminated, if possible.

• It is hoped to extend the range by reducing fuel consumption and minimizing engine mass.

• To accommodate a turbofan configuration, the diameter of the new engines may be

increased but should be kept to a minimum.

• Based on the entry-into-service date, development of new materials and an increase in

design limits may be assumed. Set a new limit of 3150 R for T4. Consider the use of
carbon matrix composites in the HP turbine. Carefully justify your choices of any new
materials, their location and the appropriate advances in design limits that they provide.

• T3 should be limited to 1620 R. If reheat cannot be avoided, T7 should be below 2100 R.

• Generate your own version of the Olympus 593 baseline engine model as a reference and
include it in your proposal.

• Your new engine design should be optimized for minimum engine mass and fuel burn. Use
trade studies to determine the best combination of design variables.

• A variable-geometry convergent-divergent nozzle is necessary to enable efficient

supersonic cruise and meet noise restrictions at take-off. To satisfy the noise requirement,
do no more than ensure that the jet velocity at take-off for a fully-expanded nozzle does
not exceed 1150 ft/s. Bear in mind that this limit is for “end of runway” measurement
purposes.

• Design proposals must include engine mass, engine dimensions, net thrust values, specific
fuel consumption, thermal and propulsive efficiencies at supersonic cruise and rolling take-
off. Details of the major flow path components must be given. These include inlet, fan,
booster, HP compressor, primary combustor, HP turbine, LP turbine, exhaust nozzle,
bypass duct, mixer, afterburner and any inter-connecting ducts. Examples of velocity
diagrams should be included to demonstrate viability of some of the turbomachinery.
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3. Baseline Engine Model

3.1 Cruise Conditions: The Design Point
A generic model of the Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 has been generated from
publicly available information (Reference 2) using GasTurb13. Details of this model are given
below to assist with construction of a baseline case and to provide some indication of typical values
of design parameters. It should be remembered that we can exceed many of the baseline
performance parameters with today’s technology, materials and design tools.

Figure 3.1: Turbojet Engine Schematic with Calculation Stations & Secondary Flows

Figure3.1 contains a general schematic with relevant station numbers and secondary flow data for
a non-augmented turbojet engine. Figure 3.2 shows an after-burning system.

Figure 3.2: Schematic of a Turbojet Engine with Reheat

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3.1.1 Overall Characteristics

Major Design Parameters

In a turbojet engine, the two primary design variables are turbine entry temperature (T4), and
overall pressure ratio (OPR or P3/P2). For two spools the optimum energy division must be
determined.

Table 3.1: Basic Design Input

Table 3.1 is the “Basic Input” for the design point of a GasTurb13 model of the Olympus 593
baseline. Both primary design variables are input, the overall pressure ratio being made up from
the LPC, the HPC and the inter-compressor duct loss. T4, as well as the inlet pressure recovery,
were obtained from Reference 2. To generate an acceptable replica of the engine cycle, a unique
combination of the remainder must be estimated iteratively using the net thrust (FN) and specific
fuel consumption (sfc) at cruise conditions as targets. By definition, this operating condition also
corresponds to the engine design point, the entry point to any component performance maps, and
this should be the case for your new engine.

The next four parameters relate to the primary combustor; they are all fairly conventional values
by modern standards. The burner efficiency of 99% corresponds to the 1960s and 99.9% is more
current. A burner pressure loss of 4% is given up willingly to pay for complete mixing and
efficient combustion, so this should be retained. The burner “part load constant” is an element in
the calculation of burner efficiency discussed in the GasTurb13 User Guide in Reference 3.
Without expert knowledge, this is best left alone!
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Secondary Design Parameters

Cooling Air: An overboard bleed is listed in Table 3.2. Strictly, this is unnecessary for our non-
afterburning design case, but it is needed to cool the afterburner for take-off with reheat. 5% of
HPC air is bled form compressor delivery to cool both the HP turbine vane and blade. Fully-
compressed air is an expensive commodity, but this is the only source that offers sufficient pressure
to permit to coolant to be delivered to the hot vane and blade and emerge from their surfaces. This
is aided by the pressure loss through the burner – another reason why we can tolerate combustor
pressure losses.

Table 3.2: Secondary Air System Input

Turbomachinery Efficiencies: For our baseline model, efficiencies of the LP and HP compressors
and HP turbine and LP turbines were entered directly via respective tabs on the input screen. The
values are not listed specifically in the tables shown but may be reviewed in the output summary
presented later in Table 3.4. The designer has the choice of either isentropic or polytropic values,
so he or she should be certain of their applicability and their definitions! However, another
available option allows GasTurb13 to calculate efficiencies from data supplied. Compressors use
a NASA approach (Reference 4) but turbines first estimate prevailing values of stage loading and
flow coefficients for use in a Smith Chart (Reference 5), assuming an equal work spilt between
stages. This is a most convenient approach to turbine performance since various updated versions
of the Smith Chart are available. More will be said about this topic in Sub-sections 3.7 and 3.8.

Power Off-take: All engines have power extracted - usually from the HP spool via a tower shaft
that passes through an enlarged vane or strut in the main frame – to power aircraft systems. This
is often preferred to the use of a separate auxiliary power unit, depending on how much power is
required. In the application currently under consideration, considerable auxiliary power may be
needed for avionics and passenger equipment and this usage is growing rapidly in modern aircraft.
We have selected a nominal power off-take of 100 hp from our baseline engine. Modern engines
tend to use a lot of this, so you might like to consider this issue for your engine and mission.
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Mixer Efficiency: Since a turbojet has a single flow stream, the Olympus 593 does not require a
mixer, but the required new turbofan architecture probably will. Mixer efficiency quantifies the
degree of mixing that is achieved at plane 163 between the core flow and the bypass flow. It can
be shown analytically that thrust is maximized if the mixing is complete. In order to do this a large
and heavy active mixer would be required; therefore an appropriate compromise is arrived at, since
a large mixer means a heavier engine that requires more thrust – an uphill spiral! For an
exceedingly long mission, the additional mixer weight is justified. In order to optimize whatever
mixing is aerodynamically possible, the designer must also ensure that the (static) pressures are
(roughly) equalized in the flows leaving the engine core and bypass duct by trading the work
balance between the high- and low-speed spools and adjusting annulus areas to effect velocities.
The bypass ratio also plays a key role here.

Dimensions: Diameters & Lengths: The engine cycle may be defined purely on the basis of
thermodynamics. We define a “rubber engine” initially, where performance is delivered in terms
of a net thrust at cruise close to 10,000 lbf given in Table 1.1 once the engine scale has been
determined. For our baseline model, we also had a target dimensional envelope defined in Figure
1.3, namely a maximum fan diameter of 47.75 inches and a maximum length of 159 inches,. The
diameter is determined from the mass flow rate and the Mach number at the LPC face; the length
is a separate issue that is dealt with by manipulation of vane & blade aspect ratios and axial gaps
in the turbomachinery and by suitable selection of duct lengths, usually defined as fractions of the
corresponding entry radii. Once the correct thrust has been reached, the maximum radius is
determined by setting an inlet radius ratio and then varying the Mach number at entry to the LPC.
These values are input on the primary input screen under the LP compressor tab, where a Mach
number of 0.549 was found to be appropriate - fairly low by today’s standards. This sets the
general radial dimension for the complete engine, although in fact downstream of the LPC, the
entry radius of the HP compressor is also determined by input radius ratios and values of local
axial Mach number given in Table 3.3.

Table 3.3: Stations Input

The HP & LP turbine radii follow from the exit values of the respective upstream components.
For the ducts, radial dimensions are keyed off the inner wall with the blade spans being
superimposed. For the overall engine length, early adjustments are made by eye (My personal
philosophy is that if it looks right, it’s probably OK!), with final manipulations being added as the
target dimension is approached. When modeling an existing engine, GasTurb13 enables an
available cross section to be located beneath the model, so that the model can be manipulated via
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numerical input or sliders assigned to input parameters, until a satisfactory match is achieved. The
degree of success can be seen in Figure 3.4, where the upper portion of the Olympus 593 cross
section from Figure 1.4 may be seen behind the model.

Materials & Weights: Use was made of the materials database in the GasTurb13 design code,
where, in fact, the default selections were retained for the Olympus 593. For proprietary reasons,
many advanced materials are not included. Examples of these are: polymeric composites used in
cold parts of the engine, such as the inlet and fan; metal matrix composites, which might be
expected in the exhaust system; carbon-carbon products, again intended for use in hot sections.
All of these materials are considerably lighter than conventional alternatives, Within the
component models, material densities can be modified independently of the database.

Component weights are calculated by multiplying the effective volumes by the corresponding
material densities. Of course, only the major elements which are explicitly designed are weighed
and there are many more constituents. Nuts, bolts, washers, seals and other much larger elements
such as fuel lines, oil lines, pumps and control systems still must be accounted for. In industry,
this is done by the application of a multiplier or adder to the predicted net mass, whose value is
based on decades of experience, to obtain what is designated in the output as the total mass. In
general, a multiplication factor of 1.3 is recommended in the GasTurb13 manual, but I used a “net
mass factor” of 1.2173 in Table 3.21 to reach the overall mass target of 7000 lbm (without nozzle)
in Figure 1.3

A summary of the output for the Olympus 593 model for the design point at cruise is given in Table
3.4. The net thrust is within 0.3% of the target. Unfortunately, the predicted specific fuel
consumption of 1.33 is considerably higher than the quoted value of 1.195 in Figure 1.3. To be
honest, I don’t know why. See what you can come up with in your baseline model!

It must also be stated at this point, that my guess for the pressure ratio split between the LP and
HP compressors could have been better! It should have been more even. In reaching the data in
Table 3.4, I sought to make the work and temperature splits roughly equal in achieving the target
value of temperature increases ΔT 2–3 = 810 R. This led to a skewing of my efficiency estimates.

A different format of thermodynamic information is contained in Table 3.5. Local values of mass
flow rate, temperature, pressure, velocity, flowpath area, axial Mach number, and radii - together
with their axial locations - are especially useful.
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Table 3.4: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine Output Summary at Cruise

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Table 3.5: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine Detailed Output

A plot of the baseline engine model appears in Figure 3.3 and as stated earlier, a comparison with the prototype cross section is shown
in Figure 3.4.
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Figure 3.3: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine GasTurb13 Model Cross Section
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Figure 3.4: Comparison of GasTurb13 Olympus 593Model with Engine Cross Section

Some details of the component models now follow.

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3.1.2 Inlet

Note that in this project we are not concerned with the real two-dimensional variable inlet, used in
the Concorde to entrain the necessary air flow and reconcile this with the engine. We are currently
interested in the hardware downstream of the inlet flange, as in Figure 1.4. The inlet is designed
with an elliptical center body (Figure 3.3). The outer diameter of the inlet has been determined
from that of the fan.

Table 3.6: Inlet Geometry Input & Output

Pertinent geometric characteristics are shown in Table 3.6. At 141 lbm, the inlet is fairly light and
this is because, based on the density (Figure 1.4), we have taken a typical Ti-Al alloy as our choice
of materials. This should accommodate the dynamic heating effects of Mach 2 operation.

3.1.3 Low Pressure Compressor

The LP compressor characteristics are given in Tables3.7 and 3.8. The radius ratio and inlet Mach
number are of particular interest because, when taken with mass flow rate, they define the fan tip
radius. Based on tip radius the blade tip speed sets the rotational speed of the LP spool. The value
of corrected flow per unit area (39.29 lbm/ft2) is modest by modern standards and corresponds to
the input value of Mach number 0.549. Your new design can exceed this.

Table 3.7: Low Pressure Compressor Aerodynamics Input & Output

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Table 3.8: Low Pressure Compressor Geometry Input & Output

3.1.4 Inter-Compressor Duct

Table 3.9: Inter-Compressor Duct

Notice that in addition to using an overall net mass factor to adjust the engine weight, individual
net mass factors may be applied to the components or net mass adders may be used. This remains
at a value of unity for the inter-compressor duct at the bottom of the left-hand box in Table 3.9
since little of the structure is unaccounted for in our simple model.
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3.1.5 High Pressure Compressor

Table 3.10: High Pressure Compressor Aerodynamics Input & Output

Again, we set the speed of the HP spool via the tip speed and the corresponding radius. General
aerodynamic characteristics of the HP compressor are given in Table 3.10, with the geometry
defined in Table 3.11.

Table 3.11: High Pressure Compressor Geometry Input & Output

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3.1.6 Combustor

A fairly conventional annular combustor is used and geometric details are given in Table 3.12.
The high density of its material corresponds to the necessary thermal properties. The combustor
is a major structural component, linked closely to the HP turbine first vane assembly. This is
emphasized by its significant mass.

Table 3.12: Combustor Geometry Input & Output

3.1.7 High-Pressure Turbine

Table 3.13: High Pressure Turbine Input to Calculate Efficiency

As stated on page 13, the efficiency of the high pressure turbine was input directly in order to
model the Olympus 593 cycle. However, I also chose to have GasTurb13 calculate isentropic
efficiency based on the data shown in Table 3.13, because additional valuable information is then
revealed, as shown in Table 3.14. It should be noted that this calculated value is based on a
modern Smith Chart and is therefore higher than that used in the cycle model. Also note that the
efficiency contours are expressed as fractions of the maximum value on the chart.

A general summary of the HP turbine is given in Table 3.14, followed by the velocity diagrams
and Smith Chart in Figure 3.5. In Table 3.14, the value of AN2, (a measure of the disk rim stress)
at almost 69 x 109 in2 rpm2, is extremely high compared with a typical limit value of 45 x 109. That
tells me I should have used a much lower rotational speed! This is borne out by the corresponding
velocity diagram in Figure 3.5, which shows very little turning in the rotor blade. What the Smith
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Chart tells us is that if we were to use exactly the same vanes and blade metal angles now, the
efficiency would be greater than those input to the baseline engine cycle because of the superior
aerodynamic design skills!

Table 3.14: High Pressure Turbine Aerodynamics Output

Figure 3.5: High Pressure Turbine Velocity Diagram & Smith Chart
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Table 3.15: High Pressure Turbine Geometry Input & Output

HP turbine geometric details are shown in Table 3.15.

3.1.8 Low-Pressure Turbine

Characteristics of the low pressure turbine are presented in Tables 3.16 to 3.18 and Figure 3.6.
Except for the comments about excessive disk rim stress, the discussion is the same as for the HP
turbine.

Table 3.16: Low Pressure Turbine Input to Calculate Efficiency

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Table 3.17: Low Pressure Turbine Aerodynamics Input & Output

Figure 3.6: Low Pressure Turbine Velocity Diagram & Smith Chart
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Table 3.18: Low Pressure Turbine Geometry Input & Output

3.1.9 Exhaust and Nozzle

The core exhaust is directly downstream of the low pressure turbine. It is comprised of an outer
casing, an inner casing, and an inner cone that closes off the inner casing, and a strut or frame,
which supports the rear bearing and centers the rotating assembly. Table 3.19 contains the input
and output details of the exhaust geometry.

The cone ends in the exhaust duct

Table 3.19: Exhaust Geometry Input & Output

The convergent-divergent nozzle is defined in Table 3.20. In both subsonic and supersonic
operations, nozzle performance has a far larger impact on that of the overall system than any other
component. The throat area A8 is usually choked and controls the flow through the whole engine.
The expansion ratio A9/A8 determines how well the exhaust jet is expanded or how closely its
static pressure matches the prevailing ambient value. Optimum thrust is produced when the
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pressure term in the thrust equation is slightly above zero. In Table 3.4, A9/A8 = 1.8 and the
pressure term of the thrust equation is 1536 lbf, which tells us that A9 could have been larger
except that the local diameter would then have exceeded that of the fan, leading to a non-cylindrical
nacelle. So I left A9/A8 at 1.8, even though the jet Mach number of 2.046 in Table 3.5 is rather
meagre for a flight Mach number of 2.0. (OK, A9 should have been bigger!)

Geometry and mass are presented in Table 3.20. A net mass factor of 1.2 accounts for the specific
controls and accessories used to activate the variable geometry in the nozzle, in keeping with
normal industrial practice and is additional to the mass factor applied to the whole engine in Sub-
section 3.1.10.

Table 3.20: Nozzle Input & Output

3.1.10 Overall Engine

Table 3.21: Overall Engine Input & Output

Geometric details of the overall engine are provided in Table 3.21. Here we can see that
application of a net mass factor of 1.2173 results in our overall target mass of 7000 lbm, when the
nozzle is neglected. The net mass factor is reasonable allowance for the sub-systems and other
miscellaneous items not included in our preliminary engine design.
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3.2 Take-Off Conditions: Off-Design Operation

In Section 1, Table 1.2, the second “off-design” point was specified to be “End of Runway” take-
off at sea level/Mach 0.3 (ISA +10⁰C) with a net thrust of 33,600 lbf. To address this, the design
point cycle model with no reheat was run in the off-design mode to generate performance maps
for the LPC, HPC, HPT and LPT. Reheat does not affect the maps. The operating conditions were
then changed to rolling take-off and the model was run again. At that point, it was noticed that the
LPC and HPC operating points beyond the scope of their maps, so I reverted to the design point in
the off-design mode and scaled both compressor maps by moving the respective operating points
to a more central location. On returning to the rolling take-off conditions, new maps were
generated as shown in Figures 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 and 3.10. The original operating points at cruise are
indicated by open round symbols and the off-design are represented by yellow squares.
Aerodynamically, the turbines are more stable so no changes are needed to their maps for off-
design operation of the Olympus 593 engine model.

Reheat was then activated in the cycle design point model, using a nominal value of T7. It is now
available to use at off-design. Returning to the off-design mode, the expansion ratio of the nozzle
(A9/A8) was adjusted until optimum expansion was reached. Finally, T7 was adjusted until the
net thrust target was achieved.

The resulting output summary for the rolling take-off case is shown in Table 3.22.
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Figure 3.7: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine LPC Map at EoR Take-Off

Figure 3.8: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine HPC Map at EoR Take-Off
 33

Figure 3.9: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine HPT Map at EoR Take-Off

Figure 3.10: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine LPT Map at EoR Take-Off
 34

Table 3.22: Olympus 593 Baseline Engine Output Summary at EoR Take-Off
 35

4. Hints & Suggestions

• Even though this document has been prepared in Imperial units, you may carry out the
project and submit your proposal in SI units if you prefer.

• You should first replicate the Olympus 593 baseline engine model with whatever software
that you will use for your new engine design. Your results may not match the baseline
model exactly but will enable you to make a valid comparison of weights and performance
for your new concept.

• The efficiencies of the turbomachinery components may be assumed to be the same as

those of the baseline engine and be input directly or obtained via the “calculate efficiency”
mode of whatever software you are using.

• Use military specification MIL-E-5007 a current general estimate of the characteristics

of an oblique shock system, to determine inlet recovery in your new engine design
𝑷𝟐
= 𝟏. 𝟎 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟕𝟓(𝑴 − 𝟏)𝟏.𝟑𝟓
𝑷𝟏
where M is the flight Mach number.

• The use of design codes from industrial or government contacts, that are not accessible to
all competitors, is not allowed.

Even though the date for submission of Letters of Intent is stated as November 1, 2020 on
pages 34 and 36, it is recommended that teams who know that they will enter the competition
inform AIAA and Dr. Ian Halliwell ([email protected]) as soon as possible, so that
assistance may be given and access to design codes may be arranged, where appropriate (See
page 33).

Questions will be taken by volunteers from the AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion Technical
Group, whose contact information will be provided to teams who submit a letter of intent.
 36

5. Competition Expectations
The existing rules and guidelines for the AIAA Foundation Student Design Competition should be
observed and these are provided in Appendix 2. In addition, the following specific suggestions are
offered for the event.

This is a preliminary engine design. It is not expected that student teams produce design solutions
of industrial quality, however it is hoped that attention will be paid to the practical difficulties
encountered in a real-world design situation and that these will be recognized and acknowledged.
If such difficulties can be resolved quantitatively, appropriate credit will be given. If suitable
design tools and/or knowledge are not available, then a qualitative description of an approach to
address the issues is quite acceptable.

In a preliminary engine design the following features must be provided:

• Definition and justification of the mission and the critical mission point(s) that drive the
candidate propulsion system design(s).

• Clear and concise demonstration that the overall engine performance satisfies the mission
requirements.

• Documentation of the trade studies conducted to determine the preferred engine cycle
parameters such as fan pressure ratio, bypass ratio, overall pressure ratio, turbine inlet
temperature, etc.

• An engine configuration with a plot of the flow path that shows how the major components
fit together, with emphasis on operability at different mission points.

• A clear demonstration of design feasibility, with attention having been paid to technology
limits. Examples of some, but not all, velocity diagrams are important to demonstrate
viability of turbomachinery components.

• Stage count estimates, again, with attention having been paid to technology limits.

• Estimates of component performance and overall engine performance to show that the
assumptions made in the cycle have been achieved.

While only the preliminary design of major components in the engine flow path is expected to be
addressed quantitatively in the proposals, it is intended that the role of secondary systems such as
fuel & lubrication be given serious consideration in terms of modifications and how they would
be integrated in to the new engine design. Credit will be given for clear descriptions of how any
appropriate upgrades would be incorporated and how they would affect the engine cycle.

Each proposal should contain a brief discussion of any computer codes or Microsoft Excel
spreadsheets used to perform engine design & analysis, with emphasis on any additional special
features generated by the team.
 37

Proposals should be limited to fifty pages, which will not include the administrative/contents
or the “signature” pages.

References
1. “A Case Study by Aerospatiale and British Aerospace on the Concorde”
Jean Rech and Clive S. Leyman
AIAA Professional Study Series.

2. “Future SST Engines with particular reference to Olympus 593 Evolution and Concorde
Experience.”
P.H. Calder and P.C Gupta
SAE 751056, presented at National Aerospace Engineering and Manufacturing Meeting,
Culver City, Los Angeles. November 1975.

3. “GasTurb 13: A Design & Off-Design Performance Program for Gas Turbines”
<http://www.gasturb.de>
Joachim Kurzke, GasTurb GmbH. 2018.

4. “Users’ Manual for Updated Computer Code for Axial Flow Compressor Conceptual
Design”
Arthur J. Glassman
NASA Contractor Report 189171, 1992

5. “A Simple Correlation of Turbine Efficiency”

S. F. Smith
Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Volume 69. 1965.

Suggested Reading
1. “Gas Turbine Theory”
H.I.H Saravanamuttoo, G.F.C Rogers &.H. Cohen,
Prentice Hall. 5th Edition 2001.

2. “Aircraft Engine Design”

J.D.Mattingly, W.H. Heiser, & D.H. Daley
AIAA Education Series. 1987.

3. “Elements of Propulsion – Gas Turbines and Rockets”

J.D. Mattingly.
AIAA Education Series. 2006.
 38

4. “Jet Propulsion”
N. Cumpsty.
Cambridge University Press. 2000.

5. “Gas Turbine Performance”

P. Walsh & P. Fletcher.
Blackwell/ASME Press. 2nd Edition, 2004.

6. “Aircraft Propulsion – Second Edition”

Saeed Farokhi
Wiley, 2014.

7. “The Jet Engine”

Rolls-Royce plc. 2005.

8. “Propulsion and Power – An Exploration of Gas Turbine Performance Modeling”

Joachim Kurzke and Ian Halliwell
Springer, 2018.

Available Software and Additional Reference Material

“NPSS® Academic Edition (www.npssconsortium.org): Numerical Propulsion System
Simulation® (NPSS®) proudly sponsors the AIAA Undergraduate Engine Design Competition,
with the hope to help students develop valuable skills for the aerospace industry. An academic
version of the NPSS software is available for free to all students throughout the world. NPSS is
the industry standard for aerospace engine cycle design, analysis, and system integration. Primary
applications include aerospace systems, but it can also be used for modeling rocket propulsion
cycles, Rankine and Brayton cycles, refrigeration cycles, and electrical systems. A copy of the
newly released NPSS Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is available for students
participating in the AIAA Undergraduate Engine Design Competition.” NPSS®

GasTurb13 is a comprehensive code for the preliminary design of propulsion and industrial gas
turbine engines. It encompasses design point and off-design performance, based on extensive
libraries of engine architectures and component performance maps, all coupled to impressive
graphics. A materials database and plotting capabilities enable a detailed engine performance
model to be generated, with stressed disks and component weights. A student license for this code
is available directly strictly for academic work. A free 30-day license may also be down-loaded.
(http://www.gasturb.de)

AxSTREAM EDU™ by SoftInWay Inc. (http://www.softinway.com) AxSTREAM® is a

turbomachinery design, analysis, and optimization software suite used by many of the world’s
leading aerospace companies developing new and innovative aero engine technology.
AxSTREAM EDU™ enables students to work on the design of propulsion and power generation
 39

systems. AxCYCLE™, an add-on to AxSTREAM EDU™ addresses cycle design and analysis.
Participants in the AIAA Undergraduate Team Engine Design Competition can acquire an
AxSTREAM EDU™ license via the following steps:
• Submit a Letter of Intent to AIAA
• Once the letter of intent has been received and approved, names of team members will be
recognized as being eligible to be granted access to the AxSTREAM EDU™ software by
AIAA.
• Students must then contact the RFP author, who will then arrange for SoftInWay to grant
the licenses.
In addition to the software, students will also gain free access to STU, SoftInWay’s online self-
paced video course platform with various resources and video tutorials on both turbomachinery
fundamentals.

The offers above are subject to ITAR restrictions.

 40

Appendix 1. Letter of Intent

2020/2021
Joint AIAA–IGTI Undergraduate Team Engine Design Competition

Request for Proposal:

Candidate Engines for a Supersonic Business jet

Title of Design Proposal: _________________________________________________________

Name of School: _______________________________________________________________

Designer’s Name AIAA or ASME Graduation Date Degree

______________________ ______________ ______________ _________________
Team Leader
Team Leader E-mail
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________
________________________ ________________ ________________ ___________________

In order to be eligible for the 2020/21 AIAA Engine Design Competition for Undergraduate
Teams, you must complete this form, the “Letter of Intent”, and return it by February 12, 2021 via
www.aiaa-awards, as noted in Appendix 2, Section III, “Schedule and Activity Sequences.” For
any non-member listed above, a student member application and member dues payment to AIAA
should also be included with this form or submitted to ASME, with a note attached.

Signature of Faculty Advisor Signature of Project Advisor Date

Faculty Advisor – Printed Project Advisor – Printed Date

 41

Appendix 2. Rules and Guidelines

I. General Rules

1. All undergraduate AIAA branch or at-large Student Members are eligible and encouraged to
participate.

2. Teams will be groups of not more than four AIAA branch or at-large Student Members per
entry.

3. Proposals must be submitted in MS Word or Adobe PDF format also via www.aiaa-awards.
Total size of the file(s) cannot exceed 60 MB, which must also fit on 100 pages when printed. The
file title should include the team name and/or university. A “Signature” page must be included
in the report and indicate all participants, including faculty and project advisors, along with
their AIAA member numbers. Designs that are submitted must be the work of the students, but
guidance may come from the Faculty/Project Advisor and should be accurately acknowledged.
Graduate student participation in any form is prohibited.

4. Design projects that are used as part of an organized classroom requirement are eligible and
encouraged for competition.

5. More than one design may be submitted from students at any one school.

6. If a design group withdraws their project from the competition, the team chairman must notify
AIAA Headquarters immediately!

7. Judging will be in two parts.

• First, the written proposals will be assessed by the judging panel comprised of members of
AIAA organizing committees from industrial and government communities.
• Second, the best three teams will be invited to present their work to a second judging panel
at a special technical session at the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, Denver, CO,
August 9 - 11, 2021. The results of the presentations will be combined with the earlier
scores to determine first, second and third places.

8. Certificates will be presented to the winning design teams for display at their university and a
certificate will also be presented to each team member and the faculty/project advisor. The
finishing order will be announced immediately following the three presentations.

II. Copyright

All submissions to the competition shall be the original work of the team members.

Any submission that does not contain a copyright notice shall become the property of AIAA. A
team desiring to maintain copyright ownership may so indicate on the signature page but
nevertheless, by submitting a proposal, grants an irrevocable license to AIAA to copy, display,
 42

publish, and distribute the work and to use it for all of AIAA’s current and future print and
electronic uses (e.g. “Copyright © 20__ by _____. Published by the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.).

Any submission purporting to limit or deny AIAA licensure (or copyright) will not be eligible for
prizes.

III. Schedule and Sequence of Activities

Significant activities, dates, and addresses for submission of proposal and related materials are as
follows:

A. Letter of Intent – February 12, 2021

B. Receipt of Proposal – May 14, 2021
C. Proposal evaluations completed - June 30, 2021
D. Round 2 Proposal Presentations & Announcement of Winners at the AIAA Propulsion
and Energy Forum; August 9 - 11, 2021.

Teams intending to submit a proposal must submit a one page Letter of Intent along with the signed
attached Intent Form (Item A) on or before the date specified above by February 12, 2021 to:
www.aiaa-awards.

For further information, please contact Michael Lagana, AIAA University Programs Manager at
[email protected].

A pdf file of the proposal must be received at the same address on or before the date specified
above for the Receipt of Proposal (Item B).

IV. Proposal Requirements

The technical proposal is the most important criterion in the award of a contract. It should be
specific and complete. While it is realized that all of the technical factors cannot be included in
advance, the following should be included and keyed accordingly:

1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements.

2. Describe the proposed technical approaches to comply with each of the requirements specified
in the RFP, including phasing of tasks. Legibility, clarity, and completeness of the technical
approach are primary factors in evaluation of the proposals.

3. Particular emphasis should be directed at identification of critical, technical problem areas.

Descriptions, sketches, drawings, systems analysis, method of attack, and discussions of new
techniques should be presented in sufficient detail to permit engineering evaluation of the proposal.
Exceptions to proposed technical requirements should be identified and explained.
 43

4. Include tradeoff studies performed to arrive at the final design.

5. Provide a description of automated design tools used to develop the design.

V. Basis for Judging

Round 1: Proposal

1. Technical Content (35 points)

This concerns the correctness of theory, validity of reasoning used, apparent understanding and
grasp of the subject, etc. Are all major factors considered and a reasonably accurate evaluation of
these factors presented?

2. Organization and Presentation (20 points)

The description of the design as an instrument of communication is a strong factor on judging.
Organization of written design, clarity, and inclusion of pertinent information are major factors.

3. Originality (20 points)

The design proposal should avoid standard textbook information and should show independence
of thinking or a fresh approach to the project. Does the method and treatment of the problem show
imagination? Does the approach show an adaptation or creation of automated design tools?

4. Practical Application and Feasibility (25 points)

The proposal should present conclusions or recommendations that are feasible and practical, and
not merely lead the evaluators into further difficult or insolvable problems.

Round 2: Presentation
Each team will have 30 minutes to present a summary of its proposal to the judging panel. In
addition to the categories above, the presentations will be assessed for clarity, effectiveness and
the ability to sell the teams’ ideas. Scores from the presentation will be added to those from the
proposal. The presentation score will be adjusted so that it is worth 30% of the overall value.