TURBOSHAFT ENGINE

TURBOSHAFT ENGINE
Aturboshaftengine is a form ofgas turbinewhich is optimized to produce
shaftpowerratherthanjetthrust.

Turboshaftenginesareverysimilartoturbojetsandturboprop.

Turboshaft engines are commonly used in applications that require a sustained high
power output, high reliability, small size, and light weight. These
includehelicopters,auxiliary power units, boatsandships,tanks,hovercraft, and
stationaryequipment.
 PRINCIPLE
Alljetengines,whicharealsocalledgasturbines,workonthesameprinciple.
Theenginesucksairinatthefrontwithafan.
Theburninggasesexpandandblastoutthroughthenozzle,atthebackofthe
engine.Asthejetsofgasshootbackward,theengineandtheaircraftarethrust
forward.Asthehotairisgoingtothenozzle,itpassesthroughanothergroupof
bladescalledtheturbine.
Theturbineisattachedtothesameshaftasthecompressor.Spinningtheturbine
causesthecompressortospin.
How does the power get from the engine to the rotors?

Thepoweristransferredfromtheengineusingamaingearboxwhichchangesthepower
fromtheengineandsendsittothetransmission.

InthetransmissionRPMisreducedfromthousandsofRPMtohundredsofRPM.By
doingthisthetorqueisincreasedandtherotationisslowedtoanacceptablelevelforthe
rotorsystem.

Thetransmissiondrivesthemastwhichgivesdirectrotationtotherotors.Oftenanother
shaftwillcomeoutofthetransmissiontodirectlydrivethetailrotoraswell.

Anaccessorygearboxmountedontheenginedrawslittleenginepowertodrivethingslike
theoilpump,thegeneratorandthefuelcontrolfortheengineitself.
 STAGES IN TURBOSHAFT ENGINE

Gas compressor: Agas compressoris a mechanical

device that increases thepressureof agasby reducing
itsvolume. Anair compressoris a specific type of gas
compressor.

Axial flow compressor

 Combustion chamber: Thecombustionprocessincreasestheinternal
energyofagas,whichtranslatesintoanincreaseintemperature,pressure,or
volumedependingontheconfiguration.
Forexampleajet engine combustor,thepressureiscontrolledandthe
combustioncreatesanincreaseinvolume.Thisincreaseinpressureorvolumecan
beusedtodowork.Ifthegasvelocitychanges,thrustisproduced,suchasin
thenozzleofarocketengine.

Combustion chamber of jet engine

 Nozzle: Anozzleisadevicedesignedtocontrolthedirectionor
characteristicsofafluidflow(especiallytoincreasevelocity)asitexits(or
enters)anenclosedchamberorpipe.
Nozzlesarefrequentlyusedtocontroltherateofflow,speed,direction,mass,
shape,and/orthepressureofthestreamthatemergesfromthem.Innozzle
velocityoffluidincreasesontheexpenseofitspressureenergy.
 Turbine: A turbine is aturbo machinewith at least one
moving part called a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or
drum withbladesattached. Moving fluid acts on the
blades so that they move and impart rotational energy
to the rotor.
 Gear box: Atransmissionisamachinethatconsistsofapowersource
andapowertransmissionsystem,whichprovidescontrolledapplicationof
thepower.Oftenthetermtransmissionreferssimplytothegearboxthat
usesgearsandgeartrainstoprovidespeedandtorqueconversionsfroma
rotatingpowersourcetoanotherdevice.
 RECENT ACTIVITIES
ThenewGE-8turboshafthascompletedcomponenttestsandisbeingrunasa
fullunit.Theenginewillhaveafive-stageaxialflowcompressorfollowedbya
last-stagecentrifugal.Itwillhaveapressureratioof18.6. The target is for the
new turbo shaft to have a 20 percent lower fuel burn and a 30 percent lower
maintenance cost.TheGEunitwillbenefitfromthemilitaryfundinginthe
developmentoftheGE38designatedforthenewUSMarineCorpsSikorskyCH-
53KSuperStallionhelicopter.Testsshowthatthetargetsarebeingmet.

GE3000TURBOSHFTENGINE