Optimization of Thermal Analysis Postprocessing Through Workflow Automation

Abstract

Thermal analysis is widely used in aerospace engineering to evaluate the thermal performance of propulsion system components under different operating conditions. However, postprocessing simulation results often requires repetitive manual effort involving file transfers, data extraction, plot generation, file organization, and report preparation. This project evaluated the existing postprocessing workflow using a representative 40-mission case study to identify workflow bottlenecks and estimate processing inefficiencies. An automated workflow using Linux batch processing, Python scripting, and VBA report automation was developed. The proposed workflow reduced repetitive manual interaction, improved report consistency, and reduced the estimated processing time from approximately 21 days to about 5 days.