Runtime Stand-ins and Determinism

The repository ships deterministic examples and tests that do not require a real pyCycle/OpenMDAO installation for basic scaffolding checks.

Why this exists

• Local development stays lightweight.

• CI remains deterministic for docs, packaging, and example smoke checks.

• Tool payload contracts can be validated without heavy runtime assets.

What is intentionally simplified

• Example scripts use lightweight stand-in problem objects.

• Example outputs focus on stable JSON shape and key fields.

• Full-fidelity thermodynamic behavior requires real OpenMDAO/pyCycle installs and should be validated in integration environments.