GAS TURBINE 15M

THRUST DISTRIBUTION/PERFORMANCE
 THRUST DISTRIBUTION
• The distribution of the thrust forces within the engine may appear
somewhat obscure-
• These forces are in effect gas loads resulting from the pressure and
momentum changes of the gas stream reacting on the engine
structure and on the rotating components.
• They are in some locations forward propelling forces and in others
opposing or rearward forces.
• The amount that the sum of the forward forces exceeds the sum of
the rearward forces is normally known as the rated thrust of the
engine.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE THRUST
FORCES
• The origin of these forces is explained by following the engine
working cycle
• At the start of the cycle, air is induced into the engine and is
compressed.
• The rearward accelerations through the compressor stages and the
resultant pressure rise produces a large reactive force in a forward
direction.
• On the next stage of its journey the air passes through the diffuser
where it exerts a small reactive force, also in a forward direction,
CONT
• From the diffuser the air passes into the combustion chambers
• where it is heated,
• the consequent expansion and acceleration of the gas, large forward
forces are exerted on the chamber walls.
• When the expanding gases leave the combustion chambers and flow
through the nozzle guide vanes,
• they are accelerated and deflected on to the blades of the
turbine
CONT
• Due to the acceleration and deflection, together with the subsequent
straightening of the gas flow as it enters the jet pipe,
• considerable ’drag’ results;
• thus the vanes and blades are subjected to large rearward forces,
• As the gas flow passes through the exhaust system,
• small forward forces may act on the inner cone or bullet,
• only rearward forces are produced and these are due to the ’drag’ of
the gas flow at the propelling nozzle.
CONT
• It will be seen that during the passage of the air through the engine,
changes in its velocity and pressure occur
• where a conversion from velocity (kinetic) energy to pressure energy
is required the passages are divergent in shape,
• similar to that used in the compressor diffuser.
• Conversely, where it is required to convert the energy stored in the
combustion gases to velocity,
• a convergent passage or nozzle, similar to that used in the turbine, is
employed..
CONT
• Where the conversion is to velocity energy, ’drag’ loads or rearward
forces are produced;
• where the conversion is to pressure energy, forward forces are
produced.
METHOD OF CALCULATING THE THRUST
FORCES
• The thrust forces or gas loads can be calculated for the engine, or for
any flow section of the engine, provided that
• the areas,
• pressures,
• velocities and
• mass flow
• are known for both the inlet and outlet of the particular flow section
• The distribution of thrust forces can be calculated by considering
each component in turn and applying some simple calculations.
cont
• The thrust produced by the engine is mainly the product of,
• - the mass of air passing through the engine and
• - the velocity increase imparted to it (i.e. Newtons Second Law of
Motion), however,
• - the pressure difference between the inlet to and the outlet from
the particular flow section will have an effect on the overall thrust of
the engine and must be included in the calculation.
cont
• To calculate the resultant thrust for a particular flow section,
• it is necessary to calculate the total thrust at both inlet and outlet,
• the resultant thrust being the difference between the two values
obtained.
• . Calculation of the thrust is achieved using the following formula:
• Thrust = (A x P) + WVj/G
• Where A = Area of flow section in sq.in.
• P = Pressure in lb. per sq.in.
cont
• W = Mass flow in lb. per sec.
• vJ = Velocity of flow in feet per sec.
• g = Gravitational constant 32.2 ft. per sec. per sec.
CALCULATING THE THRUST OF THE
ENGINE
• When applying the above method to calculate the individual thrust
loads on the various components it is assumed that the engine is
static.
• In the following calculations ’g’ is taken to be 32 for convenience.
• To assist in these calculations the locations concerned are illustrated
by a number of small diagrams
Compressor casing
• To obtain the thrust on the compressor casing it is necessary to
calculate the conditions at the
• inlet to the compressor and
• outlet from the compressor.
• Since the pressure and the velocity at the inlet to the compressor are
zero,
• - it is only necessary to consider the force at the outlet from the
compressor.
cont
• Therefore, given that the compressor OUTLET
• Area (A) = 182 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 94 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 406 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec.

• The thrust will be----------------------

answer
• = 19,049 lb. of thrust in a forward direction.
Diffuser duct
• Therefore, given that the diffuser-OUTLET
• Area (A) = 205 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 95 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 368 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec.

• The thrust will be----------------------------

answer
• The conditions at the diffuser duct inlet are the same as the
conditions at the compressor outlet, i.e. 19,049 lb.

• 21,235 - 19,049 =
• 2,186 lb. of thrust in a forward direction.
Combustion chambers
• given that the combustion chamber OUTLET
• Area (A) = 580 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 93 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 309 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec.

• The thrust will be------------------------

answer
• The conditions at the combustion chamber inlet are the same as the
conditions at the diffuser outlet, i.e. 21,235 lb.

• = 55,417 - 21,235 =
• 34,182 !b. of thrust in a forward direction.
Turbine assembly
• given that the turbine-OUTLET
• Area (A) = 480 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 21 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 888 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec.

• The thrust will be -------------

answer
• The conditions at the turbine inlet are the same as the conditions at
the combustion chamber outlet, i.e. 55,417 lb.

• 14,326 - 55,417 =
• -41,091
• This negative value means a force acting in a rearward direction.
Exhaust unit and jet pipe
• given that the jet pipe-OUTLET
• Area (A) = 651 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 21 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 643 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec.

• The Thrust will be--------------------------

answer
• The conditions at the inlet to the exhaust unit are the same as the
conditions at the turbine outlet, i.e. 14,326 lb.

• 16,745 - 14,326 =
• 2,419 lb. of thrust in a forward direction.
Propelling nozzle
• given that the propelling nozzle-OUTLET
• Area (A) = 332 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 6 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 1,917 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 153 lb. per sec
• The thrust will be ---------------------
answer
• The conditions at the inlet to the propelling nozzle are the same as
the conditions at the jet pipe outlet, i.e. 16,745 lb.

• 11,158 - 16,745 =
• 5,587lb. acting in a rearward direction.
Total Engine Thrust
• Based on the individual calculations,
• the sum of the forward or positive loads is 57,836 lb.
• the sum of the rearward or negative loads is 46,678 lb.

• Thus, the resultant (gross or total) thrust is 11,158 lb.

Engine
• It will be of interest to calculate the thrust of the engine by
considering the engine as a whole,
• the resultant thrust should be equal to the sum of the individual gas
loads previously calculated
• Although the momentum change of the gas stream produces most of
the thrust developed by the engine (momentum thrust = WVj/g)
• an additional thrust is produced when the engine operates with the
propelling nozzle in a ’choked’ condition
cont
• This thrust results from the aerodynamic forces which are created by
the gas stream and exert a pressure across the exit area of the
propelling nozzle (pressure thrust).
• Algebraically, this force is expressed as (P-P0) A.
• Where,
• A = Area of propelling nozzle in sq.in.
• P = Pressure in lb. per sq.in.
• P0 = Atmospheric pressure in lb. per sq.in.
CONT
• Therefore, assuming values of mass flow, pressure and area to be the
same as in the previous calculations i.e.
• Area of propelling nozzle (A) = 332 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 6 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Atmospheric Pressure (P) = 0 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Mass flow (W)= 153 lb. per sec.
• Velocity (vJ)= 1,917 ft. per sec.
• The thrust the thrust will be------------------------
Answer
• (P-P0) A + wvj/g – 0

• 1,992 + 9,166 =
• 11,158 lb.,
• the same as previously calculated by combining the gas loads on the
individual engine locations
cont
• On engines that operate with a non-choked nozzle,
• the (P-P0) A function does not apply
• the thrust results only from the gas stream momentum change.
AFTERBURNING
• When the engine is fitted with an afterburner, the gases passing
through the exhaust system are reheated to provide additional thrust.
• The effect of afterburning is to increase the volume of the exhaust
gases, thus producing a higher exit velocity at the propelling nozzle.
• Assuming that an afterburner jet pipe and propelling nozzle are fitted
to the engine used in the previous calculations,
• the new conditions at the propelling nozzle are as follows
• OUTLET Area (A) = 455 sq.in.
• Pressure (P) = 5 lb. per sq.in.
• (gauge) Velocity (vJ) = 2,404 ft. per sec.
• Mass flow (W) = 157 lb. per sec.

• The thrust will be---------------------

answer
•
• 14,069 - 16,745 =
• 2,676 lb. acting in a rearward direction.
• Therefore, compared with the previous calculation, it will be seen that
the negative thrust is reduced from -5,587 lb. to -2,676 lb.;
• the overall positive thrust is thus increased by 2,911 lb;
• equivalent to a thrust increase of more than 25 per cent.
PERFORMANCE