Simscape - Advice and guidance for the construction of a thermal/pneumo/hydro model

Hello,

I need help regarding my modeling project of a "pressurized-reservoir". It would be great to get some guidance or advice to build my model.

System Explanation :

I try to model a fuel-tank system (Aerospace application). My system consists of a pressurized nitrogen tank (high pressure bottle) linked with a "gas chamber" by a pressure regulator. That vessel chamber interfaces with the "reservoir" chamber (or fuel chamber/zone). The whole system is surrounded by a steel shell.

What interest me here is the temperature and pressure inside the bottle, inside the gas chamber and the fuel chamber, and also the temperature of each steel shell part. Thus, new domain must be created (such as thermo-hydraulic domain in my opinion).

The reference signal is the fuel flow (to the engine part) and the system has to respond to that one. Indeed, the fuel chamber must be at the set pressure and the pressure regulator's role is to maintain the pressure in this chamber. If the tank pressure is lower than the set pressure, the regulator opens performing isenthalpic expansion to inflate the gas chamber and to maintain this pressure within the reservoir. Thus nitrogen is injected in the "gas chamber" and pressurizes the fuel chamber (it is a kind of double-acting piston linked with a pneumatic chamber and an hydraulic chamber).

All these phenomena are reflected by changes in pressure and temperature in the system. In addition, we have to consider the thermal phenomena such as convection, conduction and radiation (through the solid parts especially). So we have to deal with phenomena such heat transfers, thermodynamics, pneumatics and hydraulics.

Do you have any idea regarding the components I will be likely to use? ( Gas pressurized tank, regulator, piston , ect..) What is the best for my pressurized gas bottle, knowing that it is initially pressurized at high pressure level and will decrease gradually during the simulation time.

Regarding the conduction- and convection-related modelling, the exchange area will change (according the to the piston displacement for example). How can I get away with that ?

My model must deal with real-gas and variable-fluid properties. How can I handle it too ?

Thank you in advance for your valuable answers.

Best Regards,

Edouard