Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.0
2.2
Journals
Aerospace
Special Issues
Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion
share announcement

Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 1816

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Thien Xuan Dinh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CFD Team, Mineral Resources, CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC 3169, Australia
Interests: metallurgy flows; multiphase flows; mixing flows; combustions; explosions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advancements in computational technology and propellant combustion modeling are making simulations of propulsion systems for aircraft and rockets increasingly feasible. However, large-scale, detailed simulations of propulsion are necessary to provide designers with critical information about the propulsion system components early in the design process within design environments. This Special Issue, titled Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion, aims to advance numerical modeling for aerospace propulsion systems to reduce the time required to analyze these systems and facilitate more efficient propulsion designs. We are seeking research on numerical algorithms, computational fluid dynamics, efficient computational approaches, and physics-based combustion models for gas, liquid, and solid propellants in modeling propulsion. Works on numerical-aided designs and novel propulsion system designs are also welcome.

Dr. Thien Xuan Dinh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • propulsion modelling algorithms
  • combustion modelling of gas/liquid/solid propellant
  • computational fluid dynamics for propulsion
  • numerical-aid-design propulsion
  • open-source code for propulsion

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 4749 KB  
Article
Numerical Analyses of Surge Process in a Small-Scale Turbojet Engine by Three-Dimensional Full-Engine Simulation
by Mengyang Wen, Heli Yang, Xuedong Zheng, Weihan Kong, Zechen Ding, Rusheng Li, Lei Jin, Baotong Wang and Xinqian Zheng
Aerospace 2025, 12(10), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12100878 - 29 Sep 2025
Viewed by 281
Abstract
Surge is a typical aerodynamic instability phenomenon in the compressors of aeroengines. The surge can lead to severe performance degradation and even structural damage to the engine and the air vehicle, making it a longstanding critical concern in the industry. Analyzing and understanding [...] Read more.
Surge is a typical aerodynamic instability phenomenon in the compressors of aeroengines. The surge can lead to severe performance degradation and even structural damage to the engine and the air vehicle, making it a longstanding critical concern in the industry. Analyzing and understanding the surge process contributes to enhancing the aerodynamic stability of designed compressors. Previous research in this field often focuses solely on the compressor itself while neglecting the mutual interaction between the compressor and other components in the entire engine system. This study investigates the compressor surge process within an integrated engine environment using a full-engine three-dimensional Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulation method for the entire engine system, validated through variable geometry turbine experiments on a small turbojet engine. The result demonstrates that the integrated three-dimensional simulation approach can capture the primary flow characteristics of the compression system during surge within an integrated engine environment. Under the influence of the variable geometry turbine, the studied small turbojet engine enters a state of mild surge. This paper also investigates the changes in aerodynamic forces during surge and reveals the two-regime surge phenomenon that exists during the engine surge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 4893 KB  
Article
Improvements in Robustness and Versatility of Blade Element Momentum Theory for UAM/AAM Applications
by Myungsik Tai, Wooseung Lee, Dahye Kim and Donghun Park
Aerospace 2025, 12(8), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12080728 - 15 Aug 2025
Viewed by 695
Abstract
This study proposes an improved formulation of the blade element momentum theory (BEMT) to enhance its robustness and versatility for urban/advanced air mobility (UAM/AAM) applications. A new velocity factor was introduced to eliminate numerical singularity issue under low inflow velocity conditions. The BEMT [...] Read more.
This study proposes an improved formulation of the blade element momentum theory (BEMT) to enhance its robustness and versatility for urban/advanced air mobility (UAM/AAM) applications. A new velocity factor was introduced to eliminate numerical singularity issue under low inflow velocity conditions. The BEMT framework was further extended and modified to account for non-axial inflow and descent flight conditions. The proposed approach was validated for an isolated propeller case by comparing the results with wind tunnel test data and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on both the overset mesh and sliding mesh methods. The improved BEMT provided reliable accuracy even in low inflow velocity conditions where basic BEMT fails to converge, and yielded reasonable performance predictions with respect to the sliding mesh results. The practicality of the method was confirmed through further application studies such as analyzing on the tilt propeller of single-seated UAM along its mission profile and constructing a propeller performance database for the lift and propulsion propellers of a lift and cruise type 5-seated UAM. The improved BEMT exhibited satisfactory engineering-level accuracy for various flight conditions, with prediction errors within 14% of the CFD results. The results and observations indicate that the proposed BEMT framework is suitable for use in the early design stages, performance analysis, and construction of a performance database, for distributed propulsion aircraft, such as eVTOL and UAM/AAM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 7850 KB  
Article
A Novel Curve-and-Surface Fitting-Based Extrapolation Method for Sub-Idle Component Characteristics of Aeroengines
by Yibo Cui, Tianhong Zhang, Zhaohui Cen, Younes Al-Younes and Elias Tsoutsanis
Aerospace 2025, 12(6), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060538 - 14 Jun 2025
Viewed by 590
Abstract
The component characteristics of an aeroengine below idle speed are fundamental for start-up process simulations. However, due to experimental limitations, these characteristics must be extrapolated from data above idle speed. Existing extrapolation methods often suffer from insufficient utilization of available data, reliance on [...] Read more.
The component characteristics of an aeroengine below idle speed are fundamental for start-up process simulations. However, due to experimental limitations, these characteristics must be extrapolated from data above idle speed. Existing extrapolation methods often suffer from insufficient utilization of available data, reliance on specific prior conditions, and an inability to capture unique operating modes (e.g., the stirring mode and turbine mode of compressor). To address these limitations, this study proposes a novel curve-and-surface fitting-based extrapolation method. The key innovations include: (1) extrapolating sub-idle characteristics through constrained curve/surface fitting of limited above-idle data, preserving their continuous and smooth nature; (2) transforming discontinuous isentropic efficiency into a continuous specific enthalpy change coefficient (SECC), ensuring physically meaningful extrapolation across all operating modes; (3) applying constraints during fitting to guarantee reasonable and smooth extrapolation results. Validation on a micro-turbojet engine demonstrates that the proposed method requires only conventional performance parameters (corrected flow, pressure/expansion ratio, and isentropic efficiency) above idle speed, yet successfully supports ground-starting simulations under varying inlet conditions. The results confirm that the proposed method not only overcomes the limitations of existing approaches but also demonstrates broader applicability in practical aeroengine simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop