DesignLiquidEngine

Quick Start

To run:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

python main.py

Usage Options

Purely running python main.py takes the user through a series of user keyboard inputs. If this is undesirable, there exists ways to execute the script using command line arguments.

To run using default settings:

python main.py --default

or

python main.py -d

By default, the configuration file is config.yaml and output file names indicate the date and time in which they were created (e.g. 05-Mar-2021_212414EST).

To run while specifying the configuration file path:

python main.py -c config.yaml

Here, -c obviously abbreviates "configuration." The user may replace config.yaml in the example above with the path to his/her desired configuration file. Note that DesignLiquidEngine only accepts .yaml configuration files. .json file support is a work-in-progress; YAML files were chosen so that the user can see comments next to a parameter, which describes that parameter and its unit.

To run while specifying the desired name for all output files:

python main.py -n project_caelus

Here, -n obviously abbreviates "name." Any name that can be used to name files and directories in your operating system are valid here, and DesignLiquidEngine will correct any invalid names.

Customizing the Configuration File (config.yaml)

Allowable data types: ints, floats, null.

Documentation

The following section details the theory behind DesignLiquidEngine, as well as further usage information for any subdirectories.

./helpers/PropSimEX

Contains the PropSim integrated executable source code. Runs a liquid rocket engine simulator that is optimized via the mcc MATLAB Compiler.

MATLAB Compiler

To generate an executable (.exe file for Windows and .sh file for macOS/Linux) from this source code, run

mcc -m PropSimIntegrated.m

in the MATALB command window. Once the compilation is complete, a PropSimIntegrated.exe or PropSimIntegrated.sh is generated, which can be run via a command prompt. These executables are also called from DesignLiquidEngine.

Outputs

PropSimIntegrated outputs a MATLAB data file called PropSimOutput.mat in the ./helpers directory. A copy is made and moved to the current case folder (under ./helpers/case-files/[your-case-name]). There, the data file is read by DesignLiquidEngine and plotted given that the runtime option (specified in ./config.yaml) is set to true.