Humidity Influence on Aero-Engine Control Plan Inflection Point and Performance

To investigate the influence of ambient humidity on the aero-engine control plan, a twin-spool mixed-exhaust turbofan aero-engine is used as the research object. After establishing a numerical calculation model of the aero-engine using the component method and incorporating the humidity correction factor into the model, the mechanism of the influence of ambient humidity on the aero-engine’s control plan inflection point and performance is investigated. Furthermore, this paper examines the degradation factors of the performance parameters of each aero-engine component in the model, as well as the impact of the coupling effect of ambient humidity and the degradation of the performance parameters of each component on the aero-engine’s performance. The results show that the control plan inflection point shifts rightward when ambient humidity rises, increasing thrust output beyond the displacement point throughout ground tests, take-off, and cruising conditions. On the other hand, when deterioration and humidity work together, the original inflection point location is typically maintained, and very slight thrust variations occur. However, the growth rate of specific fuel consumption is far higher than when humidity effects are used alone. These results provide important information for enhancing the performance of aviation engines in different humidity and component degradation scenarios.