Simulation of a Gas Turbine Engine with Performance Degradation Modeling

A simulation of performance degradation for an aeronautical gas turbine engine (Honeywell T55 L712) is presented. The effects of turbine (low and high pressure stages) erosion on the engine performance have been investigated in some detail. The behavior of the engine has been simulated using a dynamic model implemented in Matlab-Simulink. Using a throughflow code the LPT and HPT have been simulated and their performance maps have been obtained with a high level of accuracy. In order to understand the effects of turbine erosion nine degradation levels have been introduced and the LPT and HPT performance have been computed using the abovementioned throughflow code. The degradation levels have been based on stator erosion effects (increase of throat section and blade thickness reduction) only according to the experimental evidence from the engine tests from Piaggio Aero Industries. The introduction of the modified turbine characteristics into the Matlab-Simulink model has allowed the degradation effects on the overall engine performance to be tested and discussed. Finally, using experimental data from the industrial maintenance database, the link of each level of degradation with the number of the engine operational time (hours) has been obtained.Copyright © 2011 by ASME