Aerospace systems and exergy analysis: applications and methodology development needs

Exergy analysis permits meaningful efficiencies, which are a measure of approach to ideality, to be evaluated, and the sources, causes and locations of thermodynamic losses to be determined. Yet, applications of exergy to aerospace engines have been relatively limited. Three main activities are reported: 1. differences are discussed between terrestrial and aerospace applications of exergy, due to a varying operating environment and the ejection of exhaust gases with high exergy for an aerospace engine; 2. exergy analysis is applied to a turbojet engine during a typical flight; 3. the general needs are identified and discussed for research into improving thermodynamic efficiencies using exergy methods for aerospace applications. The results are expected to assist aerospace-engine design work, where exergy methods provide a more comprehensive assessment of performance, allowing an engine to be better tailored to the types of flights and operating conditions it will encounter.