Topic No.

-7
THE EXHAUST SYSTEM

The Jet Pipe

 The exhaust system is an often underrated part of the propulsion unit, its design exerts
a considerable influence on the performance of the engine.
 The gases which discharge from the turbine must exit in the correct direction and at
the optimum velocity to provide the thrust of the turbojet engine.
 The temperature of the gases entering the exhaust system can be between 550°C and
850°C.
 This can rise to as high as 1500°C if afterburners (reheat) are used.

 The fuselage of the aircraft, if it has the exhaust system running through it, must be
protected from these temperatures, this is done by both allowing a clearance between
the jet pipe and the aircraft skin through which air is allowed to circulate, and insulating
the jet pipe with some form of fibrous material sandwiched between thin layers of
stainless steel.
Jet Pipe Design
 The gas velocity leaving the turbine can be between 750 - 1250 feet per second, this is
somewhere around Mach 0.5.(DGCA)

 If this gas has to negotiate a long jet pipe before being ejected into the atmosphere to
provide thrust, a great deal of turbulence will be caused within the pipe, this will lower the
efficiency of the engine and reduce its thrust.
 Although the shape of the outer casing appears to be convergent, at the point where the gas
leaves the turbine, the shape of the volume within the casing is in fact divergent.
 This is made possible by the insertion of the exhaust cone, a conical shaped device
positioned close up to the turbine disc rear face.

 As well as helping to reduce the velocity of the gases leaving the turbine before they
pass down the length of the jet pipe, so minimizing turbulence, the exhaust cone also
prevents the hot gases flowing across the disc face, further reducing disturbance, and
preventing overheating of the disc.
 The rear turbine bearing is also supported inside the exhaust cone via turbine rear
support struts, these are streamlined by fairings which also straighten out any
residual whirl which may exist in the gas stream as it exits the turbine.
 This residual whirl can cause additional losses if it is allowed to pass into the jet pipe.
 The exhaust gases travel down the jet pipe to atmosphere via the convergent propelling
nozzle. This increases the gas velocity to speeds of Mach 1 (the speed of sound in relation
to the temperature of the gases) in a turbojet engine at virtually all throttle openings above
idle.(DGCA)
 At this velocity, sonic speed, the nozzle is said to be choked. (DGCA)
 The term ‘choked’ implies that no further increase in velocity can be obtained unless the
gas stream temperature is increased, for instance with the assistance of ‘reheat’.
Inlet and Exhaust Danger Areas
Gas Parameter Changes and Exhaust Mach Numbers in both a Convergent and a Convergent-
Divergent Nozzle
 In the convergent exhaust duct, the shape of the duct accelerates the gas.
 In a turbojet, the gas flows at subsonic speed at low thrust levels only, at almost all levels
above idle power the exhaust velocity reaches the speed of sound in relation to the
exhaust gas temperature, at this point the nozzle is said to be ‘choked’.
 This means that no further increase in velocity can be obtained unless the temperature
is increased.
 When the gas enters the convergent section of the convergent-divergent nozzle its
velocity increases with a corresponding fall in static pressure.

 The gas velocity at this point now reaches the local speed of sound (Mach 1).

 As the gas flows into the divergent section it progressively accelerates towards the open
exit.

THE LOW RATIO BY – PASS ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM

  The low ratio by-pass engine exhaust combines the by-pass air and the hot exhaust gases
in a mixer unit
 This ensures thorough mixing of the two streams before they are ejected into the
atmosphere.

THE HIGH RATIO BY – PASS ENGINE EXHAUST SYSTEM

 There are two methods used to exhaust the cold by-pass air and the hot exhaust gases.
 The standard method whereby the hot and cold nozzles are co-axial and the two streams
mix externally.
 Greater efficiency can however be obtained by fitting an integrated exhaust nozzle.
Within this unit the two gas flows are partially mixed before ejection to atmosphere
Noise Suppression
 The most significant sources of noise from the engine originate from the compressor (the
fan in high ratio by-pass engines), the turbine and the exhaust.

 Although the noises which spring from these various sources all obey slightly different
laws and mechanisms of generation, they all increase with greater relative airflow
velocity.

 With a pure jet engine, the noise of the exhaust is of such a high level that the noise of
the compressor and the turbine is insignificant, except at very low thrust conditions.

 In the case of a high ratio by-pass engine (5 to 1), the noise from the jet exhaust has
reduced to such a degree that the noise from the low pressure compressor (the fan) and
the turbine become predominant.
Questions
1. The velocity of the gases in the exhaust unit is held to:
a. Mach 0.5 to minimize turbulence **
b. Mach 0.75 to optimize the pressure distribution
c. Mach 0.85 to maximize thrust
d. Mach 1 to maximize acceleration
2. The exhaust cone:
a. straightens the gas flow before it goes into the turbine assembly
b. prevents the hot gases flowing across the rear turbine face **
c. increases the velocity of the gases
d. decreases the pressure of the gas
3. The propelling nozzle is designed to:
a. increase the velocity and decrease the pressure of the gas stream **
b. decrease the velocity and increase the pressure of the gas stream
c. to increase the velocity and the pressure of the gas stream
d. to decrease the velocity and the pressure of the gas stream
4. A nozzle is said to be “choked” when:
a. the gas flow through it is subsonic
b. the gas flow through it reaches its sonic value **
c. the gas temperature rises
d. the gas flow through it is supersonic
5. A choked nozzle:
a. decreases thrust
b. gives additional pressure without the addition of heat
c. has no effect on thrust
d. implies that no further increase in velocity can be obtained without the increase of heat
**
6. The exhaust gases pass to atmosphere via the propelling nozzle which:
a. is a convergent duct, thus it increases the gas velocity **
b. converts kinetic energy into pressure energy
c. is a divergent duct, thus it increases the gas velocity
d. is a divergent nozzle, thus it increases the gas pressure
7.7 The jet pipe is insulated from the airframe by:
a. heat insulation materials
b. a cooling air jacket
c. a combination of cooling air and insulating material **
d. semi-conducting geodetic structures
8. The noise from a high ratio bypass engine:
a. is created mainly in the exhaust section
b. is high in the exhaust section because of the high velocity gas flow
c. is predominantly from the fan and the turbine **
d. is greater than that from a turbojet engine of comparable power output
9. The shape of the volume within the jet pipe casing immediately to the rear of the turbine:
 a. is convergent to accelerate the gases towards the propelling nozzle
b. is divergent to accelerate the gases away from the turbine blades
c. is convergent to increase the pressure of the gases in the jet pipes
d. is divergent to reduce the velocity of the gases leaving the turbine **
10. The turbine rear support struts:
a. add swirl to the gases before they travel down the jet pipe
b. prevent the hot gases flowing across the rear face of the rear turbine bearing
c. allow entry of the bypass air into the exhaust system
d. straighten out any residual whirl in the gas stream **
11. An exhaust nozzle is said to be choked when the velocity at the throat is:
a. Mach 0.5
b. below Mach 1
c. at Mach 1 **
d. above Mach 1