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University of Colorado Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences University of Colorado Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences Senior Projects - ASEN 4018 Windmill Hindrance and Maneuverable Propulsion System (WHiMPS) Conceptual Design Document Monday 30th September, 2019 1. Information 1.1. Project Customers Name: Riley Huff, 1LT Email: [email protected] Phone: 937-656-4098 Team Members Name: Alec Bosshart Name: Andrew Robins Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 303-718-1090 Phone: 781-580-9170 Name: Isobel Griffin Name: Liam Sheffer Email: Isobel.Griffi[email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 720-937-3056 Phone: 719-432-6948 Name: Julia Kincaid Name: Jon Weidner Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 720-951-0019 Phone: 410-303-7280 Name: Andrew Meikle Name: Zoe Witte Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 719-650-8975 Phone: 720-880-8592 Name: Declan Murray Name: Lucas Zardini Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 303-895-9041 Phone: 331-444-9636 Name: Alexandra Paquin Name: Nicholas Zellman Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Phone: 720-354-2238 Phone: 719-419-4511 2. Project Description 2.1. Project Purpose The purpose of WHiMPS is to modify the JetCat P100-RX engine, shown in Fig.1 below, to allow for at least one axis thrust vectoring capabilities greater than or equal to ten degrees with no decrement of thrust at zero degrees of vectoring, and prevent windmilling with engine off at greater than Mach 0.8 at 20,000 feet. Jet engine windmilling occurs when an engine is not operating, yet the compressor blades rotate due to oncoming airflow [1]. Although windmilling can be used as an emergency restarting mechanism on a commercial jet engine, it is detrimental to the JetCat P100-Rx because the compressor blades are lubricated by the circulation of fuel. When the engine is turned off, there is no fuel circulating to lubricate the compressor blades, and there could be damage to the engine. Thrust vectoring allows for attitude and angular velocity modifications through directional firing. Modifying and understanding these smaller micro jet engines and their new capabilities is the first step towards improving larger-scale engines, as improvements are made and proved effective on the micro jet, they can be applied to more complex systems. In order to accomplish this purpose, WHiMPS will employ a single mechanism software control sequence, a main control board, a graphical user interface (GUI), and mechanical hardware. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) team from the previous year, Specialized Propulsion Electronics Control Systems (SPECS), was able to successfully redesign the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the engine in order to take full control of its functionality. The SPECS project relied heavily on controlling the engine; windmill prevention and thrust vectoring designs are independent of the engine, thus WHiMPS has chosen to use the manufacturer implemented ECU to avoid complications with the engine. An image of the engine with defined body axis can be seen below: Figure 1. JetCat P100-RX Body Axes [2] 09/30/19 2 of 32 CDD University of Colorado Boulder 2.2. Specific Objectives Table 1 below details how the WHiMPS team has defined the levels of success for this project. The levels of success are sectioned into two main project categories: windmill prevention and thrust vectoring. The first three levels of success are independent of each objective, whereas the last two coincide due to the Main Control Board (MCB) combining both aspects of the project. Level Windmill Prevention Thrust Vectoring Conduct software analysis to ensure the thrust Verify that the control software (using a vectoring mechanism does not diminish simulated windmill prevention mechanism) restricts straight-line (0◦) thrust. 1 turbine motion to less than 0.5 RPM in response to Verify that the control software (using a simulated conditions corresponding to a freestream velocity thrust vector control mechanism) is capable of of Mach 0.8 at 20k feet. changing the thrust vector angle by ±10◦ along both the aircraft body Y and Z axes. With the engine off, verify that the integrated control software and thrust vectoring control mechanism is capable of changing the thrust vector 2 Same as Level 1. angle of the engine along the aircraft body Y axis within a ±10◦ range, while retaining the original thrust at 0◦. Verify that the integrated control software With the engine off, verify that the integrated and windmill prevention mechanism restricts control software and thrust vectoring control 3 turbine motion to less than 0.5 RPM in response to mechanism is capable of changing the thrust vector conditions corresponding to a freestream velocity angle by ±10◦ along both the aircraft body Y and Z of Mach 0.8 at 20k feet, with the engine off. axes, while retaining the original thrust at 0◦. Verify that the integrated control software, windmill prevention mechanism, and thrust vector control 4 mechanism continues to meet the level three success criteria for both Windmill Prevention and Thrust Vectoring with the engine off. 5 Meet level four success criteria with the functioning JetCat P100-RX. Table 1. Specific Objectives for Windmill Prevention and Thrust Vectoring 2.3. Functional Block Diagram The overall functional block diagram for team WHiMPS is demonstrated in Figure2. Two major systems are required to meet the specific objectives: the Main Control Board (MCB) and the Engine Test and Control System (ETCS). The MCB contains the control software and is the master for handling all serial communication through its data lines for receiving sensor data and sending commands, and is responsible for distributing power to each electrical component within the ETCS. An external battery will provide power to the MCB. The battery is specified as a 9.9V 2200mAh LiPo, which is highly recommended by JetCat to use with their Engine Control Unit (ECU). The power to the rest of the MCB and ETCS can be regulated accordingly from the battery. Additionally, a user interface will communicate with the MCB through input and output data lines. This makes the MCB the master of the ETCS as well as the ECU for the JetCat P100-RX. Furthermore, the ETCS consists of a mechanism and testing apparatus for both the windmill prevention and thrust vectoring. The mechanisms shall provide the physical solution to the problem statement, while the testing apparatuses shall be utilized to verify that the mechanisms meet the requirements. More specifically, the windmill prevention’s and thrust vectoring’s test apparatuses consist of angular speed measurement sensors and thrust measurement sensors respectively. The final element in the ETCS includes the JetCat P100-RX and the ECU. When the project is finally integrated, both mechanisms shall be implemented around the engine. Both the MCB’s software and the ETCS’s control mechanisms and test apparatuses shall be completely designed by team WHiMPS. The components within the design that shall be acquired include the external battery, the JetCat P100-RX, the ECU, and any commercial devices such as actuators, motors, and environment sensors. A functional block diagram of the entire WHiMPS project follows. 09/30/19 3 of 32 CDD University of Colorado Boulder Figure 2. Functional Block Diagram 09/30/19 4 of 32 CDD University of Colorado Boulder 2.4. Concept of Operations Aligning with the USAF’s mission testing statements, the WHiMPS concept of operations can be found below in Figure3. The WHiMPS team will test and validate both the windmill prevention (WMP) and the thrust vectoring (TV) mechanism capabilities according to the simulated mission profile described at the top of the diagram. These test conditions will confirm and validate that the WMP will operate in Mach 0.8 conditions, and that the TV mechanism will provide a TV range of motion of 20 degrees (±10◦). Figure 3. Concept of Operations 2.5. Functional Requirements The functional requirements for WHiMPS team success are listed below. The first functional requirement addresses the first of two main requirements set by the USAF: to incorporate thrust vectoring to the provided JetCat P-100RX engine. The main requirements set by the USAF state that only one vectoring axis is necessary, but incorporation of both body y and z axes is preferred. Because of the redundancy of incorporated technology to vector on both axes, it was chosen by the WHiMPS team to incorporate both vectoring axes. The second main requirement set by the USAF is to prevent windmilling of the compression fans from occurring. When the engine is off and a high-speed freestream flow is introduced, the compression fans will rotate due to the applied torque. Because the engine is not self-lubricating when the engine is off, this degrades the fan blades and can cause failure earlier in its life. Incorporating a windmill- prevention system will increase the life span of the engine. The third - fifth functional requirements pertain to the Main Control Board (MCB), which will control all components of the incorporated mechanisms, along with the engine, in a safe manner. The third functional requirement is that the MCB shall control both incorporated mechanisms (thrust vectoring and windmill prevention system). To test one mechanism, the other must not be employed. Therefore, the MCB must operate both of these mechanisms. The fourth functional requirement addresses safety requirements when operating the engine. The JetCat engine produces 22.5 lbf of thrust with high exit temperatures. In the interest of staff and student safety, operating this engine safely is a high priority. Lastly, the fifth functional requirement addresses data communication between the MCB and an incorporated user interface. To control the engine and both mechanisms, it is imperative to have a user interface that monitors the employment of the mechanisms and the engine’s vitals.
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