More Examples

While we work on more extensive tutorials, you can learn more about OpenConcept by diving into the source code and playing around with OpenConcept’s models. This page suggests logical next places to look to gain an understanding of what is possible.

Propulsion modeling

The turboprop example uses OpenConcept’s TurbopropPropulsionSystem. If you have not already looked at the underlying code for that model, that’s a good place to start. The component’s source code is in openconcept/propulsion/systems/simple_turboprop.py and can be found on GitHub here.

After that, we recommend looking at the TwinTurbopropPropulsionSystem in the same file to understand how to build models with more than one propulsor that properly handle the failed engine case on takeoff. This propulsion system is used in the KingAirC90GT.py example.

For an introduction to hybrid electric propulsion systems, have a look at the TwinSeriesHybridElectricPropulsionSystem. This model is in openconcept/propulsion/systems/simple_series_hybrid.py or on GitHub here. The HybridTwin.py example aircraft shows how to use this propulsion system and sets up an optimization problem for it.

Finally, the B738.py example shows the use of the CFM56 surrogate model from pyCycle. There are similar propulsion models for the N+3 geared turbofan and a parallel hybrid version of the same N+3 engine.

Thermal management modeling

One of OpenConcept’s key contributions is the ability to model an aircraft thermal management system and the associated unsteady heat flows. AllElectricSinglePropulsionSystemWithThermal_Incompressible models an all-electric propulsion architecture with a thermal management system. The code is located in openconcept/propulsion/systems/simple_all_electric.py and on GitHub here. The ElectricSinglewithThermal.py example models the TBM aircraft from the turboprop example, but retrofit with this all-electric propulsion system.

The TwinSeriesHybridElectricThermalPropulsionSystem model adds a thermal management system to the twin-engine series hybrid propulsion system. That model can be found in openconcept/propulsion/systems/thermal_series_hybrid.py or on GitHub here. The HybridTwin_thermal.py example shows how to use this propulsion system.

The most detailed thermal management system model is in the N3_HybridSingleAisle_Refrig.py example aircraft. It models a parallel hybrid single aisle commercial transport aircraft. The model includes an electric motor with a cooling jacket, a battery with a bandolier cooling system, a refrigerator, compressible ducts, pumps, and even coolant hose models.

Other useful places to look

The B738_VLM_drag.py and B738_aerostructural.py examples show how to use the OpenAeroStruct VLM and aerostructural models. The B738_sizing.py example demonstrates the use of the weight buildup, drag buildup, and \(C_{L, \text{max}}\) estimate.