Modeling and Simulation of an aircraft environmental control system (part of the Integrated Cabin Comfort Analytical Tool)

Among the different sub-systems in an aircraft, the environmental control system is the one responsible for the control of temperature, pressure and humidity in the cabin and is crucial to passenger comfort. This system has around 40 components including heat exchangers, compressors, and turbines. Recirculation at different levels complexifies the modeling and simulation of such a system. The importance of modeling this system lies in the fact that one has to verify that the cabin comfort is assured under various operating conditions. Since it is not possible to have test flights under all these flight conditions, it is better is ensure feasibility by doing extensive simulations. Also, once predictive capability of the model is established, one should be able to predict outcome of certain changes in the system, like changing one valve by another or increasing the capacity of the compressor. Then, this model could become a part of the design process – eventually a design tool – helping the engineering design group to perform its core task of designing the aircraft control system.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Srinivasan Balasubrahmanyan

Student:

Daniel Pérez

Partner:

Bombardier Aerospace

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

Polytechnique Montréal