entropy Article Influences of Different Architectures on the Thermodynamic Performance and Network Structure of Aircraft Environmental Control System Han Yang 1,2, Chunxin Yang 1,2,* , Xingjuan Zhang 1 and Xiugan Yuan 1 1 School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
[email protected] (H.Y.);
[email protected] (X.Z.);
[email protected] (X.Y.) 2 Beijing Advanced Discipline Center for Unmanned Aircraft System, Beijing 100191, China * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: The environmental control system (ECS) is one of the most important systems in the aircraft used to regulate the pressure, temperature and humidity of the air in the cabin. This study investigates the influences of different architectures on the thermal performance and network structure of ECS. The refrigeration and pressurization performances of ECS with four different architectures are analyzed and compared by the endoreversible thermodynamic analysis method, and their external and internal responses have also been discussed. The results show that the connection modes of the heat exchanger have minor effects on the performance of ECSs, but the influence of the air cycle machine is obvious. This study attempts to abstract the ECS as a network structure based on the graph theory, and use entropy in information theory for quantitative evaluation. The results provide Citation: Yang, H.; Yang, C.; a theoretical basis for the design of ECS and facilitate engineers to make reliable decisions. Zhang, X.; Yuan, X. Influences of Different Architectures on the Keywords: environmental control system; endoreversible thermodynamic analysis method; refrigeration; Thermodynamic Performance and pressurization; information entropy; network structure Network Structure of Aircraft Environmental Control System.