Jet Propulsion

Lesson Objectives

After this lesson students should be able to:

Define what a jet engine is Describe how Newtons laws apply to jet or

rocket engines List examples of jet engine applications List some key points in the history of jet propulsion List advantages and disadvantages of jet engines

Definition of a Jet Engine

An engine that burns fuel and uses the expanding exhaust gases to turn a turbine and/or produce thrust
The concept of thrust is based on the principle of Newtons Third Law

Newtons Third Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

An example of this is a spray nozzle on a garden hose

Newtons Second Law F=M x A

Newtons second law states - The force of an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration
The force of the spray nozzle is equal to the mass of the water multiplied by the acceleration of the water when it comes through the nozzle

This is the same principle used in rocket and jet engines

Newton in Practice
Schematic of a rocket engine

Drawing Courtesy of Understanding Flight

Where are jet engines used?

Commercial Airliners Boeing 757

Where are jet engines used?

Business and personal jets - Learjet

Where are jet engines used?

Military Bombers

B-52 Stratofortress

B-2 Spirit

Photo Courtesy of www.af.mil

Where are jet engines used?

Military Fighters
F-15 EAGLE F-22 Raptor

Photo Courtesy of www.af.mil

Where are jet engines used?

Helicopters - Apache

Photo Courtesy of www.army.mil

Where are jet engines used?

M-1 Abrams Tank

Photo Courtesy of www.army.mil

Where are jet engines used?

Tractor Pulling

Photo Courtesy of gasturbine.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Where are jet engines used?

Speed boats

Photo Courtesy of gas-turbines.com

History of Jet Engines

Invented in the 1930s Co-invented by Dr. Hans von Ohain (German) and Sir Frank Whittle (British) Developed their ideas separately and at the time knew nothing of the others work

History of Jet Engines

Germans were the first to utilize the jet engine as a military tool The jet powered ME-262 was the first jet powered airplane to see combat
It had a top speed of 540 mph

Photo Courtesy of Stormbirds.com

History of Jet Engines

The SR-71 Blackbird set the current speed and altitude record for a jet powered aircraft in 1961
Its top speed is still classified but is in excess of 2,200

mph

Photo Courtesy of NASA

Advantages of Jet Engines

High power to weight ratio No reciprocating parts

Less parasitic power loss no need to

constantly accelerate and decelerate pistons Less required maintenance

Disadvantages of Jet Engines

The high speeds and high operating temperatures make designing and manufacturing gas turbines complex from both the engineering and materials standpoint These complexities lead to a higher price Jet engines do not produce high torque levels, which is why they arent used in automobiles

Review Questions

Describe how a rocket or jet engine produces thrust How do Newtons laws relate to jet engine operation Give some examples of jet engine applications When and where were jet engines developed What are some advantages of jet engines What are some disadvantages of jet engines

Types of Jet Engines

Lesson Objectives

After this lesson students should be able to:

List the six different types of jet engines Describe how each type of engine propels the

vehicle it is used in List advantages and disadvantages of each type

Six different types of jet engines

Turbojet Turbofan Turboshaft Turboprop Pulsejet Ramjet

X-15 with ramjet engine

Photo Courtesy of NASA

Turbojet Engine

Thrust produced by gasses expelled from the exhaust nozzle Very noisy Used on high speed aircraft due to its small size

Drawing Courtesy of Understanding Flight

Turbofan

Some of the thrust is produced by gasses expelled from the exhaust nozzle just like a turbojet engine Most of the thrust is produced from the large inlet fan The Bypass ratio of a turbofan is typically 8:1 (eight times more air is bypassed than passes through the compressor and combustion chamber)

Drawing Courtesy of Understanding Flight

Turbofan Cont

If one wanted to increase thrust you would either have to increase the speed of the air being moved or increase the mass of the air being moved (Thrust = Mass x Acceleration) ... However It is more efficient to accelerate a larger mass of air to a lower velocity Due to this principle the turbofan is more efficient than the turbojet Due to the lower velocity the turbofan is also significantly quieter than a turbojet Almost all modern commercial aircraft use turbofan engines (excluding the Concord)

Turbofan Cont

Turboshaft

Exhaust gas is used to turn turbine shaft which is then used to propel the vehicle Exhausted gas produces little thrust because most of the energy is used up by the turbine

Drawing Courtesy of www.aircraftenginedesign.com

Turboshaft Cont

Because of the high speed (RPM) of a turboshaft engine gear reduction must be used to obtain a usable shaft speed much like the transmission in your car This gear reduction also produces torque multiplication

Drawing Courtesy of www.aircraftenginedesign.com

Turboprop

A turboprop is essentially a turboshaft engine that is attached to a propeller A propeller is more efficient at low speeds than a turbofan or turbojet

Drawing Courtesy of www.aircraftenginedesign.com

Pulsejet
Doesnt Use a compressor or turbine Doesnt have the ability to produce thrust at low speed (<100 mph) Germans used this design during WWII in their V-1 Flying Bomb

V-1 Flying Bomb

Pulsejet

Uses one-way reed valves in the front of the engine to force exhaust gasses out the rear of the engine and allow fresh air in the front

Ramjet

Used for extremely high speeds (minimum 400 mph) Doesnt contain any moving parts (I.e.compressor, turbine, reed valves) Relies on the inertia of the incoming air for compression Used in the SR-71 Blackbird at supersonic speeds

Review Questions

What are the six types of jet engines What is the difference between a turbojet and a turbofan engine? Which type of jet engine could be used to run a stationary electrical generator? Why arent turbojets used in commercial aircraft anymore? Why not ramjets?

Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Turbine Blade

Objectives

After this lesson students should be able to:

List the basic parts required to construct a jet

turbine engine Describe the difference between an axial flow jet engine and a radial flow jet engine List the auxiliary systems needed for various jet engines Explain how an afterburner works

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Housing The rigid frame that supports and contains the parts needed for operation as well as the combustion event Air inlet and diffuser The area of the jet where fresh air comes in, the design of the diffuser straightens and alters the speed of the incoming airs

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Compressor Compresses the incoming air at a ratio of approximately 30:1 Burner or combustion chamber The area of the engine where fuel is ignited

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Exhaust Nozzle accelerates the engine exhaust to the most efficient and effective speed for producing thrust Turbine Converts the energy from the heated and expanding exhaust gasses to a rotating shaft which is used to turn the compressors, or in the case of a turboshaft engine, power the vehicle

Basic Components of a Turbine Jet Engine

Radial vs. Axial Flow

Axial flow compressors the air travels along the axis of the engine Radial flow engines use a centrifugal compressor they push the air out radially rather than along the axis of the engine

Radial vs. Axial Flow

Axial flow compressors are more efficient Radial flow compressors are less expensive Most large and high-performance jet engines use an axial flow configuration

Other Essential Systems

Fuel System Ignition System Flame Holder Lubrication System

Other Auxiliary Components

Turbofan Inlet fan Turboshaft Gear reduction unit Turboprop - Gear reduction unit Pulsejet reed valves Afterburners Thrust Vectoring Systems

Turbofan Inlet Fan

Most

of the thrust is produced from the large inlet fan

The

Bypass ratio of a turbofan is typically 8:1

Turboshaft Gear Reduction Unit

Pulsejet Reed Valves

The reed valves force the expanding exhaust gasses out the rear of the engine and allow fresh air to enter the front

Turboprop

A turboprop is

essentially a turboshaft engine that is attached to a propeller

Afterburners

An afterburner injects fuel directly into the exhaust stream and burns it using the remaining oxygen. This heats and expands the exhaust gases further, and can increase the thrust of a jet engine by 50% or more. The advantage of an afterburner is that you can significantly increase the thrust of the engine without adding much weight or complexity to the engine

Afterburners

Thrust Vectoring Systems

Thrust Vectoring redirects exhaust gasses to create thrust on a vector other than the centerline of the aircraft Thrust Vectoring is used in aircraft such as the Harrier, F-22 Raptor, and Joint Strike fighter Thrust Vectoring can be used to increase maneuverability or allow a plane to takeoff / land vertically

Thrust Vectoring Maneuverability

Russian Su-37, which incorporates thrust vectoring

Thrust Vectoring Systems

Review Questions

Which part of the jet engine converts the energy of the expanding exhaust gasses to mechanical (rotating) energy? List 3 additional systems needed for operation of a jet turbine engine. What is the difference between a radial flow and an axial flow jet engine? How does an afterburner work?

-Aircraft Engine SelectionWhich Engine is the Best For the Job?

Objectives

After this lesson students should be able to:

List possible applications for each type of jet

engine List advantages and disadvantages of each type of jet engine

Selection Criteria

When selecting an engine for a particular vehicle the following criteria must be evaluated

Price Designed speed of vehicle operation Designed altitude of vehicle operation Range Fuel efficiency Maintenance and Durability

Naturally Aspirated Piston Engine

Relatively inexpensive Limited power at high altitudes due to the lower air density Speed is limited due to propeller inefficiencies at high speeds (>500 mph)

Supercharged or Turbocharged Piston Engine

Able to operate at higher altitudes than a naturally aspirated engine

Turbocharging or Supercharging increases the

density of the air entering the engine (the engine thinks it is at a lower altitude)
Still

somewhat limited by altitude Speed is still limited due to propeller inefficiencies at high speeds (>500 mph)

Turbojet

No reciprocating parts Thrust is not greatly affected by altitude Relatively small frontal area is desirable for high speed (supersonic) use Relatively high-speed, low-mass of exhaust gasses make the turbojet somewhat inefficient High speed exhaust is extremely noisy

Turbofan

Because the large inlet fan moves a larger volume of air at a lower velocity, the turbofan is more efficient that the turbojet Because of the lower exhaust speeds the noise level is greatly reduced The large inlet fan creates a large frontal area which negatively affects drag at high speeds (especially supersonic) Most effective at speeds below supersonic (Mach .5 Mach .9) However modern fighters are now using state of the art turbofans for supersonic flight

Turboprop

Propellers are most efficient at low speeds Produce greater power than a comparable piston engine with less weight, noise, and maintenance More expensive than a piston engine Must use a gearbox to reduce the high turboshaft rpms down to prop rpms

Turboshaft

Used in turboprop, helicopter, and land based applications Must use a gearbox to reduce rpms M-1 Abrams tank 1500 hp turboshaft engine

Pulsejet

Relatively inexpensive Doesnt have the ability to produce thrust at low speeds Simple construction

Ramjet

Only used in extremely high speed applications (mostly military / NASA) Only produces thrust at high speeds SR-71 No moving parts

X-15

Review Questions

Which types of engines are least practical at high rpms? Which types of engines are least practical at supersonic speeds? Which type of engine could be used to power an electrical generator? Why is a turbofan more efficient than a turbojet engine?

References

Books Understanding Flight by David Andreson and Scott Eberhardt Websites How Stuff Works www.howstuffworks.com NASA www.grc.nasa.com Factors Affecting Fuel Consumption - http://www.jalfoundation.or.jp/ US Army www.army.mil Pratt and Whitney www. pwc.com US Air Force www.af.mil