Show HN: Huracan – Open Source Aircraft Engine Simulation Python Package
github.com
github.com
Huracan is an open source, 0-dimensional, object-oriented airbreathing engine modelling package for preliminary analysis and design of airbreathing engines, divulgation and educational purposes.
The aerospace industry is notoriously closed source. Huracan being open source means that anyone is free to not only use it to experiment with engine designs, but also investigate the physical principles behind how each component affects a flow of gas. I think that makes it a precious learning opportunity for the interested layman, as well as giving more knowledgeable people the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the tool if they can and so desire.
0-dimensional engine simulation consists in taking an engine architecture and simulating the state of the gas flowing through it after each component. This is, simulating the state of the flow in a discrete way. 0-dimensional engine modelling programs such as GasTurb and NLR's GSP are used in academia and the industry for preliminary design and analysis of engines.
At the moment Huracan is capable of modelling engines with an arbitrary number of components connected by an arbitrary number of shafts. It allows for a single combustion chamber per stream and reheating. Multiple-stream systems can be modelled, as well as splitting (such as the bypass flow of a turbofan) and mixing streams (such as in the nozzle of a mixed exhaust turbofan). The thrust, specific fuel consumption and propulsive efficiency of an engine can be obtained. Further verification and validation of the model are currently the main objectives of the project, as well as further performance analysis features.
For the curious, there's turbofan, turboprop and turbojet simulation examples in the repository.
The API reference is available here[1].