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INTRODUCTION
Efforts to design a working gas turbine engine had been under way for years prior to World War II. Engineers even-
tually succeeded in placing a few engines in combat aircraft briefly during the closing stages of the war. The war
effort had brought about many advances in gas turbine technology which could now be used for commercial air-
craft design. Turbine engines offered many advantages over reciprocating engines and airlines were interested.
Increased reliability, longer mean times between overhaul, higher airspeeds, ease of operation at high altitudes,
and a high power to engine weight ratio made turbine power very desirable. Aircraft such as Lockheed's Super
Constellation represented the practical limits of piston power technology and required frequent engine mainte-
nance; therefore, air carriers turned to gas turbine engines for solutions. During the decade of the 50's, a gradual
transfer from piston power to gas turbine jets and turboprops started taking place. Old workhorses such as the
Douglas DC-3 and DC-7 gave way to the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Figure 3-5. First flown in 1942, the Bell XP-59 was the first
American jet-powered aircraft.
ROCKET
A rocket is a nonairbreathing engine that carries its
own fuel as well as the oxygen needed for the fuel
to burn. There are two types of rockets in use: Figure 3-7. As a ramjet moves forward, air enters the intake
solid-propellant rockets and liquid-propellant and proceeds to a combustion chamber where fuel is
rockets. Solid-propellant rockets use a solid fuel added. Once ignited, the heat from the burning fuel accel-
that is mixed with an oxidizer and formed into a erates the flow of air through a venturi to produce thrust.
specific shape that promotes an optimum burning
rate. Once ignited, the fuel produces an extremely no moving parts. However, since a ramjet has no rotat-
high velocity discharge of gas through a nozzle at ing compressor to draw air into the engine, a ramjet
the rear of the rocket body. The reaction to the must be moving forward at a high velocity before it
rapid discharge is forward motion of the rocket can produce thrust. Once air enters the engine, fuel is
body. Solid fuel rockets are used primarily to injected and ignited to provide the heat needed to
propel some military weapons and, at times, accelerate the air and produce thrust. Because ramjets
provide additional thrust for takeoff of heavily must be moving forward to produce thrust, they are
loaded aircraft. These booster rockets attach to an limited in their use. At present, ramjets are used in
aircraft structure and provide the additional thrust some military weapons delivery systems where the
needed for special-condition takeoffs. [Figure 3-6] vehicle is accelerated to a high initial velocity so the
ramjet can take over for sustained flight. [Figure 3-7]
The second type of rocket is the liquid-fuel rocket,
which uses fuel and an oxidizing agent such as liq-
uid oxygen. The two liquids are carried in tanks PULSEJET
aboard the rocket. When the liquids are mixed, the Pulsejet engines are similar to ramjets except that
reaction is so violent that a tremendous amount of the air intake duct is equipped with a series of shut-
heat is generated. The resulting high velocity gas jet ter valves that are spring loaded to the open
behind the rocket provides enough thrust to propel posti-tion. Air drawn through the open valves
an object. enters a combustion chamber where it is heated by
burning fuel. As the air within the combustion
RAMJET chamber expands, the air pressure increases to the
point that the shutter valves are forced closed.
A ramjet engine is an athodyd, or aero-thermody- Once closed, the expanding air within the chamber
namic-duct. Ramjets are air-breathing engines with is forced rearward to produce thrust. A pulsejet is
typically considered more useful than a ramjet
because pulsejets will produce thrust prior to being
accelerated to a high forward speed. [Figure 3-8]
TURBOPROP ENGINES
A gas turbine engine that delivers power to a pro-
peller is referred to as a turboprop engine.
Turboprop engines are similar in design to turbojet
engines except that the power produced by a turbo-
prop engine is delivered to a reduction gear system
that spins a propeller. Reduction gearing is neces-
sary in turboprop engines because optimum pro-
peller performance is achieved at much slower
speeds than the engine's operating rpm. Turboprop
engines are used extensively in business and com-
muter type aircraft because the combination of jet
power and propeller efficiency provides good per-
formance characteristics at speeds between 300 and
Figure 3-8. (A) In the pulsejet engine, air is drawn into the 400 miles per hour. In addition, most turboprop
combustion chamber and mixed with fuel when the shutter engines provide the best specific fuel consumption
valves open. (B) As the fuel burns, the air pressure within
the chamber increases and forces the shutter valves to
of any gas turbine engine. [Figure 3-9]
close. Once closed, the expanding air within the engine
accelerates rearward through the exhaust nozzle to pro- TURBOSHAFT ENGINES
duce thrust.
A gas turbine engine that delivers power to a shaft
TURBOJET ENGINES that can drive something else is referred to as a tur-
boshaft engine. The biggest difference between a
The basic operating principles of a turbojet engine turbojet and turboshaft engine is that on a turboshaft
are relatively straight forward; air enters through an engine, most of the energy produced by the expand-
inlet duct and proceeds to the compressor where it ing gases is used to drive a turbine rather than pro-
is compressed. Once compressed, the air flows to duce thrust. Many helicopters use a turboshaft type
the combuster section where fuel is added and of gas turbine engine. In addition, turboshaft
ignited. The heat generated by the burning fuel engines are widely used as auxiliary power units
causes the compressed air to expand and flow and in industrial applications to drive electrical
toward the rear of the engine. As the air moves rear- generators and surface transportation systems.
ward, it passes through a set of turbine wheels that Output of a turboprop or turboshaft engine is mea-
are attached to the same shaft as the compressor sured by shaft horsepower rather than thrust.
blades. The expanding air spins the turbines which,
in turn, drives the compressor. Once past the tur- TURBOFAN ENGINES
bines, the air proceeds to exit the engine at a much
higher velocity than the incoming air. It is this dif- A turbofan engine consists of a multi-bladed ducted
ference in velocity between the entering and exiting propeller driven by a gas turbine engine. Turbofans
air that produces thrust. were developed to provide a compromise between
When discussing a turbojet engine you must be
familiar with the term engine pressure ratio, or
EPR. An engine's EPR is the ratio of the turbine dis-
charge pressure to the engine inlet air pressure. EPR
gauge readings are an indication of the amount of
thrust being produced for a given power lever set-
ting. Total pressure pickups, or EPR probes, mea-
sure the air pressure at two points in the engine; one
EPR probe is located at the compressor inlet and a
second EPR probe is located just aft of the last stage
turbine in the exhaust section. EPR readings are Figure 3-9. Turboprop powerplants have become a popular
often used as verification of power settings for take- choice on corporate twin-engine aircraft.
3-6 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-10. (A) A forward-fan turbofan engine uses a relatively large diameter ducted fan that produces thrust and provides
intake air to the compressor. (B) An aft-fan turbofan engine has a fan mounted on the aft turbine. This arrangement is rarely
used, since an aft fan cannot contribute to air compression at the inlet.
the best features of the turbojet and the turboprop. One stream passes through the engine core while a
Turbofan engines have turbojet-type cruise speed second stream coaxially bypasses the engine core. It
capability, yet retain some of the short-field takeoff is this bypass stream of air that is responsible for the
capability of a turboprop. Nearly all present day air- term bypass engine. When discussing bypass
liners are powered by turbofan engines for the rea- engines there are three terms you must be familiar
sons just mentioned as well as the fact that with; they are thrust ratio, bypass ratio, and fan
turbo-fans are very fuel efficient. pressure ratio. A turbofan engine's thrust ratio is a
comparison of the thrust produced by the fan to the
A turbofan engine may have the fan mounted to thrust produced by the engine core exhaust. On the
either the front or back of the engine. Engines that other hand, a turbofan's bypass ratio refers to the
have the fan mounted in front of the compressor are ratio of incoming air that bypasses the core to the
called forward-fan engines, while turbofan engines amount of air that passes through the engine core.
that have the fan mounted to the turbine section are Turbofans in civil aircraft are generally divided into
called aft-fan engines. [Figure 3-10] three classifications based on bypass ratio:
High bypass turbofan engines have bypass ratios of Recent developments have produced new engine
4:1 or greater and use the largest diameter fan of any designs with higher efficiencies than anything cur-
of the bypass engines. High bypass turbines offer rently in use. The new engines are designated ultra
higher propulsive efficiencies and better fuel econ- high bypass (UHB) propfan and unducted fan
omy than low or medium bypass turbines. engine (UDF). These new designs utilize titanium,
Consequently, they are the engines of choice on lightweight stainless steel, and composite materials
large airliners used for long flights. Some common to surpass the fuel economy of several high bypass
high bypass turbofan engines include Pratt and turbofan engines by more than 15 percent. Engine
Whitney's JT9D and PW4000, the Rolls-Royce designers have achieved 30:1 bypass ratios by incor-
RB-211, and the General Electric CF6. One porating single or dual propellers with composite
version of
3-8 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-14. The basic components of a gas turbine engine include the air inlet, compressor, combustors, turbines, and exhaust.
The air inlet and compressor section is sometimes referred to as an engine's cold section, while the combustors, turbines, and
exhaust are sometimes referred to as an engine's hot section.
Turbine Engines 3-9
ENGINE-MOUNTED INLETS
Several large commercial aircraft and large military
aircraft use wing mounted engines. In a few cases,
such as the DC-10 and L-1011, a combination of
Figure 3-15. To ensure the operating efficiency of an inlet wing mounted and vertical stabilizer mounted
duct, periodic inspection for foreign object damage and cor- engines are used. In both cases, the air inlet duct is
rosion is required. located directly in front of the compressor and is
mounted to the engine. Integral mounting of the
pressure above atmospheric pressure. This ram inlet with an engine reduces air inlet length which
effect results from forward movement which causes helps to increase inlet efficiency. [Figure 3-16]
air to "pile up" in the inlet. The faster the aircraft
flys, the more air piles up, and the higher the inlet In addition to the wing and vertical stabilizer
mounted engines, some commercial aircraft and the
air pressure rises above ambient.
majority of small business jets are fitted with aft
fuselage mounted engines. The air inlet ducts on
Another function of the air inlet is to provide a uni- engines mounted in this fashion are identical to air
form supply of air to the compressor so the com- inlet ducts on wing mounted engines in that the
pressor can operate efficiently. Furthermore, the duct is relatively short and is mounted directly to
inlet duct must cause as little drag as possible. It the engine. [Figure 3-17]
takes only a small obstruction to the airflow inside
a duct to cause a severe loss of efficiency. If an inlet
duct is to deliver its full volume of air with a mini-
mum of turbulence, it must be maintained as close
to its original condition as possible. Therefore, any
repairs to an inlet duct must retain the duct's
smooth aerodynamic shape. To help prevent dam-
age or corrosion to an inlet duct, an inlet cover
should be installed any time the engine is not oper-
ating. [Figure 3-15]
Figure 3-18. The Hawker-Siddeley ou i "Nimrod" was devel- Figure 3-20. The divided-entrance duct with side-mounted
oped from the de Havilland Comet airframe and utilizes intakes has a shorter length, providing improved inlet
wing mounted air inlets that are aerodynamicaliy shaped to efficiency.
reduce drag.
disadvantage to this arrangement is that some
WING-MOUNTED INLETS sudden flight maneuvers can cause an imbalance in
ram air pressure between the two intakes. The air
Some aircraft with engines mounted inside the wings pressure imbalance felt on the compressor face
feature air inlet ducts in the wing's leading edge. results in a slight loss of power. [Figure 3-20]
Aircraft such as the Aerospatiale Caravelle, de
Havilland Comet, and de Havilland Vampire all utilize
wing-mounted inlets. Typically, wing-mounted inlets SUBSONIC INLETS
are positioned near the wing root area. [Figure 3-18] A typical subsonic air inlet consists of a fixed geom-
etry duct whose diameter progressively increases
FUSELAGE-MOUNTED INLETS
from front to back. This divergent shape works like
a venturi in that as the intake air spreads out, the
Engines mounted inside a fuselage typically use air velocity of the air decreases and the pressure
inlet ducts located near the front of the fuselage. For increases. This added pressure contributes signifi-
example, many early military aircraft were designed cantly to engine efficiency once the aircraft reaches
with an air inlet duct in the nose of the fuselage. In its design cruising speed. At this speed, the com-
addition, some modern supersonic military aircraft pressor reaches its optimum aerodynamic efficiency
have inlet ducts located just under the aircraft nose. and produces the most compression for the best fuel
Although using an air inlet of this type allows the economy. It is at this design cruise speed that the
aircraft manufacturer to build a more aerodynamic inlet, compressor, combustor, turbine, and exhaust
aircraft, the increased length of the inlet does intro- duct are designed to match each other as a unit. If
duce some inefficiencies. [Figure 3-19] any section mismatches any other because of dam-
age, contamination, or ambient conditions, engine
Some military aircraft use air inlet ducts mounted performance suffers. For additional information on
on the sides of the fuselage. This arrangement works subsonic air inlets, refer to the discussion on turbine
well for both single and twin engine aircraft. By engine induction systems in Section B of Chapter 5.
mounting an intake on each side of an aircraft, the
duct length can be shortened without adding a
SUPERSONIC INLETS
significant amount of drag to the aircraft. However,
a On supersonic aircraft a typical air inlet duct has
either a fixed or variable geometry whose diameter
progressively decreases, then increases from front to
back. This convergent-divergent shape is used to
slow the incoming airflow to subsonic speed before
it reaches the compressor.
BELLMOUTH INLETS
Figure 3-22. The sand and dust separator pictured is typical for the turbine powered helicopter. The venturi in the air inlet accel-
erates the air and sand so the sand has too much inertia to make the turn leading to the engine
3-72 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-23. When a pilot actuates this type of sand separator, a small vane extends into the airstream. The inertia of the sand and
ice particles after they pass through the venturi carries them past the air intake and discharges them overboard.
Figure 3-25. A single-stage centrifugal compressor consists Figure 3-27. A single-stage, dual-sided impeller enables a
of an impeller, a diffuser, and a compressor manifold. small diameter engine to produce a high mass airflow.
3-74 Turbine Engines
Some blades are cut off square at the tip and are
referred to as flat machine tips. Other blades have a
reduced thickness at the tips and are called profile
tips. All rotating machinery has a tendency to
vibrate, and profiling a compressor blade increases
Figure 3-33. End bend refers to the increased blade camber
its natural vibration frequency. By increasing the
on some compressor blades. The increased camber helps
blade's natural frequency above the frequency of prevent airflow stagnation near the blade tips.
rotation, a blades's vibration tendency is reduced. In
Turbine Engines 3-17
Figure 3-35. In a single-spool compressor, there is only one compressor unit that is connected by a shaft to the turbine section.
Rear stages operate at a fraction of capacity while FWD stage overload…..Not respond quickly to abrupt control input change
3-18 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-36. In a dual-spool axial flow engine, the low pressure compressor is driven by the low pressure turbine while the high
pressure turbine drives the high pressure compressor. Splitting the compressor creates two rotating groups, each with consider-
ably less mass than a single-spool compressor. The smaller mass allows the compressors to respond more quickly to power lever
inputs and perform better at high altitudes. In addition, a smaller starter can be used since it turns less mass.(small mass allow
compressor to respond quickly and easy to turn for starting)N2 speed is held relatively constant by FCU Governor飛縱控制
N2 speed up or slow down by ALT高度 and FLT飛行 maneuvering
Engine designers devised a way to overcome the pressure fluctuations or flight maneuvering. For
limitations of single-spool compressors by splitting example, low pressure compressors speed up as the
the compressor into two or three sections. Each sec aircraft gains altitude, since the atmosphere is less
tion is connected to a portion of the turbine section dense and more rotational speed is needed to force
by shafts that run coaxially, one within the other. the required amount of air through the engine.
For example, split-compressor engines with two Conversely, as the aircraft descends, the air becomes
compressor sections are identified as dual-spool or more dense and easier to compress so the low pres-
twin-spool compressors. The front section of a dual- sure compressor slows down. This way, the low
spool compressor is called the low pressure, low pressure compressor supplies the high pressure
speed, or N 1 compressor. This low pressure com compressor with a fairly constant air pressure and
pressor is typically driven by a two-stage turbine at mass airflow for each power setting.
the rear of the turbine section. The second compres
sor section of a twin-spool compressor is called the On many turbofan engines, the compressor section
high pressure, high speed, or N2 compressor and is is divided into three sections and is referred to as a
typically driven by a single stage high-pressure tur triple-spool compressor. In this arrangement the fan
bine at the front of the turbine section. The shaft is referred to as the low speed, or N 1 compressor.
connecting the low pressure compressor and tur The compressor next in line is called the intermedi-
bine typically rotates inside the shaft connecting the ate, or N 2 compressor, and the innermost compres-
high pressure compressor and turbine. On some tur- sor is the high pressure, or N 3 compressor. The low
bofan engines, the forward fan is attached to the low speed compressor is typically driven by a multiple
pressure compressor, and they both turn at the same stage low pressure turbine, while the intermediate
speed. [Figure 3-36] and high pressure compressors are driven by single
stage turbines. [Figure 3-37]
Since the spools are not physically connected to one
another, each is free to seek its own best operating
speed. However, for any given power lever setting, COMPRESSOR STALL
the high pressure compressor speed is held rela- As discussed earlier, compressor blades are actually
tively constant by the fuel control governor. With a small airfoils and therefore, are subject to the same
constant energy level at the turbine, the low pres- aerodynamic principles that apply to aircraft wings.
sure compressor speeds up or slows down with Like a wing, a compressor blade has an angle of
changes in the inlet air flow caused by atmospheric attack, which is the acute angle between the chord
Turbine Engines 3-19
Figure 3-37. The triple-spool compressors used on many turbofan engines allow each compressor section to reach its optimum
speed for varying power requirements and flight conditions.(compressor stall 原因 turbulence air in inlet abrupt FLT
maneuver abnormal acceltin加速 or decell檢速 direction or damage on comp .turbine blade or vane)此時會有
pulsating or fluttering sound Fluction RPM EGT raise
Air velocity and compressor rotational velocity combine vector which define the AOA(angel of attack)
of the blade and the relative wind. The angle of way this can be done is through the use of variable
attack of a compressor blade is the result of inlet air inlet guide vanes(可變進氣導片) and variable
velocity and the compressor's rotational velocity. stator vanes which direct the incoming air into the
These two forces combine to form a vector, which rotor blades at an appropriate angle. For example,
defines the airfoil's actual angle of attack to the as a compressor's rotational speed decreases, the
approaching inlet air. As with an aircraft wing, a stator vanes are progressively closed to maintain
compressor blade's angle of attack can be changed. the appropriate airflow angle to the proceeding
rotor blades. The position of the stator vanes is
A compressor stall can be described as an imbal- controlled automatically by the fuel control unit.
ance between the two vector quantities, inlet veloc- To do this, the fuel control unit monitors
ity, and compressor rotational speed. Compressor compressor inlet temperature and engine speed.
stalls occur when the compressor blades' angle of
attack exceeds the critical angle of attack. At this Another way the angle of attack can be changed is
point, smooth airflow is interrupted and turbulence by bleeding off some of the air pressure within the
is created with pressure fluctuations. Compressor compressor. To do this, some engines incorporate
stalls cause air flowing in the compressor to slow automatic air-bleed valves which operate during
down and stagnate, sometimes reversing direction. low rpm conditions or during engine startup. The
A compressor stall can usually be heard as a pulsat- automatic valves open to relieve pressure caused by
ing or fluttering sound in its mildest form to a loud air piling up at the compressor's high pressure end.
explosion in its most developed state. Quite often This regulation of air pressure helps prevent the
the cockpit gauges will not show a mild or transient compressor from stalling and allows for easier
stall but will indicate a developed stall. Typical engine starting.
instrument indications include fluctuations in rpm
and an increase in exhaust gas temperature. Most Compressor stalls typically occur when the engine
transient stalls are not harmful to the engine and inlet air becomes turbulent or disrupted when an
often correct themselves after one or two pulsations. aircraft flys in severe turbulence or performs abrupt
However, severe stalls, or hung stalls, can signifi- flight maneuvers. Another cause is excessive fuel
cantly impair engine performance, cause loss of flow produced by a sudden engine acceleration,
power, and can damage the engine. accompanied by incompatible engine rpm and air-
flow combinations. In addition, contamination or
The only way to overcome a stalled condition is to damage to compressor blades, stator vanes, or tur-
reduce the angle of attack on the rotor blades. One bine components can also cause a compressor stall.
3-20 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-38. The Garrett TFE731 engine has a two-stage compressor that uses an axial flow compressor for the low pressure stage
and a single stage centrifugal compressor for the high pressure stage.
Turbine Engines 3-21
Figure 3-40. As air flows into the combustion section it separates into primary and secondary flows. The primary flow is used to
support combustion while the secondary flow cools the hot gases before they enter the turbine section.
air forms a cooling air blanket on both sides of the steel liner inside the outer case. The inner liner is
liner and centers the combustion flames so they do highly heat resistant and is easily removed for
not contact the liner. Some secondary air is slowed inspection once the combustion can is removed
and metered into the combustor through the from the engine. Each combustion can has a large
perforations in the liner where it ensures degree of curvature which provides a high resis-
combustion of any remaining unburned fuel. Finally, tance to warpage. However, the shape is inefficient
secondary air mixes with the burned gases and cool in terms of the amount of space required and the
air to provide an even distribution of energy to the added weight.
turbine nozzle at a temperature that the turbine
section can withstand. [Figure 3-40] The individual combustors in a typical
multiple-can combustion chamber are
There are currently three basic types of combustion interconnected with small flame propagation tubes.
chambers, the multiple-can type, the annular or bas- The combustion starts in the two cans equipped
ket type, and the can-annular type. Functionally, with igniter plugs, then the flame travels through
they are the same but their design and construction the tubes and ignites the fuel/air mixture in the
is different. other cans. Each flame propagation tube is
actually a small tube surrounded by a larger tube
or jacket. The small inner tube carrys the flame
MULTIPLE-CAN TYPE
between the cans and the outer tube carries airflow
The multiple-can type combustion chamber con- between the cans that cools and insulates. There are
sists of a series of individual combustor cans 8 or 10 cans in a typical multiple-can combustion
which act as individual burner units. This type of section. The cans are numbered clockwise when
combustion chamber is well suited to centrifugal facing the rear of the engine on most
compressor engines because of the way compressor American-built engines, with the number one can
discharge air is equally divided at the diffuser. being on the top. All the combustor cans discharge
Each can is constructed with a perforated stainless exhaust gases into an open area at the turbine nozzle
inlet. [Figure 3-41]
Turbine Engines 3-23
ANNULAR TYPE
Today, annular combustors are commonly used in
both small and large engines. The reason for this is
that, from a standpoint of thermal efficiency,
weight, and physical size, the annular combustor is
the most efficient. An annular combustion chamber
consists of a housing and perforated inner liner, or
basket. The liner is a single unit that encircles the
outside of the turbine shaft housing. The shroud can Figure 3-42. An annular combustor has the highest effi-
be shaped to contain one or more concentric bas- ciency for its weight of any combustor design. However,
kets. An annular combustor with two baskets is the engine must be disassembled to repair or replace an
known as a double-annular combustion chamber. annular combustor. Also, the shallow curvature makes this
Normally, the ignition source consists of two spark combustor more susceptible to warping.
3-24 Turbine Engines
CAN-ANNULAR TYPE
Can-annular combustion sections represent a com-
bination of the multiple-can combustor and the
annular type combustor. The can-annular combus- Figure 3-44. A can-annular combustor contains individual
tor was invented by Pratt & Whitney and consists of burner cans in an annular liner. The short burner cans com-
a removable steel shroud that encircles the entire bine the compact efficiency of the annular type combustor
combustion section. Inside the shroud, or casing, with the ease of the multiple-can combustor maintenance.
are multiple burner cans assembled radially around
the engine axis with bullet-shaped perforated liners. ease of overhaul and testing of the multiple-can
A fuel nozzle cluster is attached to the forward end arrangement with the compactness of the annular
of each burner can and pre-swirl vanes are placed combustor. [Figure 3-44]
around each fuel nozzle. The pre-swirl vanes
enhance the combustion process by promoting a
thorough mixing of fuel and air and slowing the FLAMEOUT
axial air velocity in the burner can. Flame propaga- As mentioned earlier, a combustion flame can be
tion tubes connect the individual liners and two extinguished by high airflow rates. However, exces-
igniter plugs are used for initiating combustion. An sively slow airflow rates can also contribute to this
individual can and liner is removed and installed as problem. Although flameout is uncommon in mod-
one unit for maintenance. This design combines the ern engines, combustion instability can still occur
Turbine Engines 3-25
Figure 3-49. In an impulse turbine system, the turbine noz- Figure 3-51. To help account for the different rotational
zle vanes form a series of converging ducts that increase speeds along the length of a turbine blade, most turbine
the velocity of the exhaust gases. The impulse turbine engines use impulse-reaction type turbine blades. This type
blades then extract energy from the gases as the blades of blade is constructed with an impulse section at its base
redirect the flow of high velocity gases. and a reaction section at its tip.
3-28 Turbine Engines
To further improve the airflow characteristics While not common in large engines, some small
around shrouded turbine blades, a knife-edge seal is tur-boshaft engines feature counter-rotating turbine
machined around the outside of the shroud that wheels. Counter-rotating turbines are chosen by
reduces air losses at the blade tip. The knife-edge engine designers for their effectiveness in dampen-
seal fits with a close tolerance into a shrouded ring ing gyroscopic effects and reducing engine vibra-
mounted in the outer turbine case. tion, not for aerodynamic reasons.
Figure 3-53. An internally cooled blade receives cooling air at the root and expels the air at the tip or through holes in the leading
and trailing edges.
Figure 3-54. A typical exhaust section has an exhaust cone, tailpipe, and exhaust nozzle. The exhaust cone is considered the rear-
most component of a typical gas turbine engine. The tailpipe and exhaust nozzle are usually classified as airframe components.
3-30 Turbine Engines
EXHAUST NOZZLE
Figure 3-56. On some high bypass engines, cold bypass air mixes with hot exhaust gases after the gases exit the engine. Other
high bypass engines use a common or integrated exhaust nozzle that partially mixes the gas streams internally.
THRUST REVERSERS
Figure 3-58. Accessory drives are typically designed to
On most turbine engine aircraft, the brakes are blend with the engine profile to minimize drag.
unable to slow the aircraft adequately during land-
ing rollout. The amount of kinetic energy that must
be dissipated is so great that, if only brakes were include the engine's midsection, or the front or rear
used, brake wear would be prohibitive. In addition, of the engine. However, inlet and exhaust locations
the heat buildup in the wheel area generated by usually determine if front or rear-mounted gear-
braking could lead to a brake fire. Therefore, most boxes are a design option. Rear-mounted gearboxes
turbojet and turbofan powered aircraft are fitted typically allow the narrowest engine diameter and
with thrust reversers to assist in braking. Thrust lowest drag configuration. In a few rare instances,
reversers redirect the flow of exhaust gases to pro- the engine design dictates that the accessory drive
vide thrust in the opposite direction. In other be located at the top of the engine near the com-
words, thrust reversers provide a force in the oppo- pressor. [Figure 3-58]
site direction of travel that slows forward motion.
For further information on the various types of The power needed to drive the accessories is typi-
thrust reverser systems that are used, refer to cally taken from the engine's main power shaft. A
Chapter 5, Section B. set of beveled gears is used to drive an accessory
shaft which, in turn, drives an accessory gearbox.
The accessory gearbox then distributes power to
ACCESSORY SECTION each accessory drive pad. Since turbine engines
operate at a relatively high rpm, reduction gearing is
The accessory section, or accessory drive, of a gas necessary in the accessory drive system to provide
turbine engine is used to power both engine and air-
appropriate drive speeds for the accessories. In
craft accessories such as electric generators, some installations, an intermediate or transfer gear-
hydraulic pumps, fuel pumps, and oil pumps.
box is necessary to obtain the appropriate reduction
Secondary functions include acting as an oil
gearing necessary for the accessories. [Figure 3-59]
reservoir, or sump, and housing the accessory drive
gears and reduction gears. The more accessories an engine has, the greater the
power needed to drive the accessory gearbox. In
The accessory drive location is selected to keep the fact, the accessory drive system on a large high by-
engine profile to a minimum for streamlining. pass engine can require as much as 500 horsepower
Typical places where an accessory drive is located from the engine.
Turbine Engines 3-33
NOISE SUPPRESSION
Some of the energy released from the burning fuel in
a jet engine is unintentionally converted to noise.
With increasing air traffic around densely populated
areas, noise control has become a big issue that
impacts both engine designers and operators. Much
Figure 3-59. With a typical waist mounted accessory sec- of the noise produced by a turbine engine results
tion, a radial shaft geared to the main engine shaft transfers
power to the drive pads through an intermediate gearbox. when hot, high-velocity gases mix with cold,
low-velocity air surrounding the engine. This
high-intensity noise includes both low- and
ENGINE STATION NUMBERING high-frequency vibrations, with low frequencies
Engine manufacturers usually assign station num- being predominant.
bers to several points along a turbine engine's gas
path. These numbered locations are similar to fuse- Increasing use of turbofan engines has probably
lage stations, and provide a technician with a done more to reduce noise levels both inside the
means of rapidly locating certain engine areas dur- aircraft cabiri and on the ground than any other fac-
ing maintenance. Station numbers also establish tor. Turbofan engines seldom require noise sup-
locations for taking pressure and temperature read- pressors because their exhaust sections are
ings. For example, engine pressure ratio, or EPR, designed to mix the hot and cold gas streams prior
compares air pressure at the engine inlet with air to their release into the atmosphere, which greatly
reduces exhaust noise.
Figure 3-60. Engine station numbers provide a standard means of identifying points along an engine's gas path.
3-34 Turbine Engines
Figure 3-65. Propellers driven by a free turbine rotate independently of the compressor turbine.
downstream from the main turbine and is dedicated exhaust gases to drive an output shaft. The power
to driving only the propeller. [Figure 3-65] may be taken directly from the engine turbine, or
the shaft may be driven by its own free turbine. Like
A second method of transferring the exhaust gas free turbines in turboprop engines, a free turbine in
energy to the propeller is through a fixed shaft. In a turboshaft engine is not mechanically coupled to
this case, the main turbine typically has an the engine's main rotor shaft, so it may operate at its
additional turbine wheel that extracts the energy own speed. Free turbine designs are used
needed to drive a propeller. With these fixed shaft extensively in current production model engines.
engines, the main power shaft goes directly into a Turboshaft engines are frequently used to power
reduction gearbox to convert the high-speed low helicopters and auxiliary power units aboard large
torque turbine output into low-speed high torque commercial aircraft.
energy to drive a propeller.
AUXILIARY POWER UNITS
To prevent the propeller on a turboprop engine from
Turbine powered transport aircraft require large
driving the turbine, a sophisticated propeller
amounts of power for starting and operation. For
control system must be used to adjust propeller
example, large amounts of electrical power are
pitch as necessary to match the engine's output. For
sometimes needed for passenger amenities such as
example, in normal cruise flight, both the propeller
lighting, entertainment, and food preparation. In
and engine rpm remain constant. Therefore, in
addition, engine starting and ground air
order to maintain a constant-speed condition, the
conditioning require a high-pressure, high-volume
propeller's blade angle and fuel flow must be
pneumatic air source that frequently is not available
adjusted simultaneously. In other words, when
at remote airports. To meet these demands for
fuel flow is increased, the propeller's pitch must
ground power when the aircraft engines are not
also increase.
running, most large turbine aircraft are equipped
with auxiliary power units, or APUs.
TURBOSHAFT ENGINES
A typical APU consists of a small turbine
Turboshaft engines are gas turbine engines that power-plant driving an electric generator
operate something other than a propeller by deliv- identical to those mounted on the aircraft's
ering power to a shaft. Turboshaft engines are engines. In addition, an APU's compressor
similar to turboprop engines, and in some supplies bleed air to a load compressor for heating,
instances, both use the same design. Like cooling, anti-ice, and engine starting. As
turboprops, turboshaft engines use almost all the with any other gas turbine
energy in the
Turbine Engines 3-37
Figure 3-67. In a gas turbine engine, air is taken in through an air inlet, compressed in the compressor, mixed with fuel and ignited in
the combustors, then exhausted through the turbines and exhaust nozzle. This allows a gas turbine engine to perform the same
functions as a cylinder and piston in a reciprocating engine except that, in a turbine engine, the events happen continuously.
Turbine Engines 3-39
PRODUCING THRUST
If you recall from Section A, a gas turbine engine
produces thrust based on Newton's third law of
motion which states that for every action, there is an
equal and opposite reaction. In a turbojet engine,
the acceleration of a mass of air by the engine is the
action while forward movement is the reaction.
F=MxA
Where:
F=Mx(V2-V1)/g=50x(1300-734)/32.2
F = engine thrust in pounds It should be easy to see from this formula that the
M s = mass airflow through the engine net thrust produced by a gas turbine engine can be
V 2 = air velocity at the exhaust increased by two methods: first, by increasing the
V a = forward velocity of the engine mass flow of air through the engine, and second, by
g = acceleration of gravity which is 32.2 feet per increasing the exhaust velocity.
second2
If the velocity of a turbojet engine remains constant
with respect to the aircraft, exhaust thrust decreases
As an example, determine the amount of gross if the speed of the aircraft is increased. This is
thrust produced by a turbojet powered aircraft at because V a increases in value as the speed of the air-
rest on the end of a runway with the engines pro- craft increases. This does not present a serious prob-
ducing takeoff thrust. The takeoff power setting
moves 50 pounds of air through one of the engines
every second and produces an exhaust velocity, V 2 ,
of 1,300 feet per second.
Turbine Engines 3-47
lem, however, because as aircraft speed increases, You should also recall that the more a gas turbine
more air enters the engine resulting in an increase in engine compresses the incoming air, the more thrust
exhaust velocity. The resultant net thrust is almost the engine can produce. The reason for this is that
constant with increases in airspeed. engines with high compression ratios force more air
into the engine, allowing more heat energy from the
burning fuel to be transferred to the internal airflow.
THERMAL EFFICIENCY Anytime there is an increase in the amount of heat
A turbine engine's thermal efficiency is the ratio of energy transferred from the fuel to the air, an
the actual power an engine produces divided by the engine's thermal efficiency also increases. ;
thermal energy in the fuel consumed. At cruise, a
large gas turbine engine with a 30:1 compression As you would expect, high compressor and turbine
ratio can operate with a thermal efficiency as high efficiencies in a gas turbine engine promote a
as 50 percent. In comparison, if you recall from higher thermal efficiency. The reason for this is that
Chapter 1, the thermal efficiency of a typical recip- compressor and turbine efficiency directly impact
rocating engine is between 30 and 40 percent. the compression ratio of a given engine, which, in
turn, has a direct impact on thermal efficiency.
There are three primary factors which determine the [Figure 3-71]
thermal efficiency of a gas turbine engine. They are
the turbine inlet temperature, the compression
FACTORS AFFECTING THRUST
ratio, and the component efficiencies of the com-
pressor and turbine. The amount of thrust a given engine is capable of
producing is affected by a number of
As discussed earlier, the higher a gas turbine engine environmental, design, and operational factors. For
raises the temperature of the incoming air, the more example, temperature, altitude, and airspeed
thrust the engine can produce. The primary limiting directly affect inlet air density and consequently,
factor to increasing the temperature of the air is the thrust. The combination of these three variables is
amount of heat the turbine section can withstand. sometimes represented by a single variable, called
Therefore, if the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) lim- stagnation density. Operating rpm and the
its on a given engine can be increased, higher ther- efficiency of a given fan design are additional
mal efficiencies will result. [Figure 3-70] parameters that directly determine the amount of
thrust an engine produces.
ALTITUDE
FAN EFFICIENCY