Major Gas Turbine Engine Components

1. Inlet:
 Continuously draw air into engine through inlet
 Slows, or diffuses to compressor

2. Compressor / Fan:
 Compresses air
 Generally two, or three, compressors in series
 Raises stagnation temperature and pressure (enthalpy) of flow
 Work is done on the air

3. Combustor:
 Combustion or burning processes
 Adds fuel to compressed air and burns it
 Converts chemical to thermal energy
 Process takes place at relatively constant pressure
 Major Gas Turbine Engine Components

4. Turbine:
 Generally two or three turbines in series
 Turbine powers or drives the compressor
 Air is expanded through turbine (P & T ↓)
 Work is done by the air on the blades
 Use some of that work to drive compressor
 Next:
 Expand in a nozzle
 Convert thermal to kinetic energy (turbojet)
 Burning may occur in duct downstream of turbine (afterburner)
 Expand through another turbine
 Use this extracted work to drive a fan (turbofan)

5. Nozzle:
 Flow is ejected back into the atmosphere, but with increased momentum
 Raises velocity of exiting mass flow
Propulsion Systems- Turbojet

 Turbojet
 The turbojet was the first useful jet engine to be built.
Turbojet engine- Air intake

Air intake

• Air intake aims at bringing large amounts of surrounding air into the engine.

• Inlets come in many shapes and sizes depending on the aircraft.

• The design of the inlet makes the air slow down and also raises the pressure.
Turbojet engine- Compressor

The compressor rotates at very high speed, adding energy to the airflow and at
the same time squeezing it into a smaller space.
Compressing the air increases its pressure and temperature.
The compressor is driven by the turbine.
Compressors used in turbojet engines are mainly classified as:
Axial Flow Compressors.
Centrifugal Compressors.
Propulsion Systems- Turbojet
 Turbojet engine- Compressor

Axial flow compressor

Axial compressors are rotating, airfoil based
compressors in which the working fluid
principally flows parallel to the axis of
rotation.

Axial compressors consist of a shaft that

drives a central drum which has a number of
annular airfoil rows attached. These rotate
between a similar number of stationary airfoil
rows attached to a stationary tubular casing. A
pair of rotating and stationary airfoils is
called a stage. The cross-sectional area
between rotor drum and casing is reduced in
the flow direction to maintain axial velocity
as the fluid is compressed.
 Turbojet engine- Compressor

Centrifugal
compressor
Centrifugal compressors are rotating,
airfoil based compressors in which the
working fluid principally flows
perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Centrifugal compressors consist of a shaft

that drives a impeller which has a number
of curved blades.

The impeller rotates in a casing which is

designed to convert the kinetic energy of
the fluid into pressure energy before
leaving the compressor.
Turbojet engine- combustion chamber

In a turbojet the air and

fuel mixture passes
confined through the
combustion chamber.

As the mixture burns its

temperature increases
dramatically.

The combustion chamber

is usually in the form of
cans, which comprise the
fuel injector and flame
holder.
 Turbojet engine- Turbine

 Hot gases leaving the combustor are

allowed to expand through the turbine.

 Turbines are usually made up of high

temperature metals such as inconel.

 The turbine's rotational energy is used

primarily to drive the compressor and
other accessories, like fuel, oil, and
hydraulic pumps.

 In a turbojet almost two-thirds of all the

power generated by burning fuel is used
by the compressor to compress the air
for the engine.
Turbojet engine- Nozzle

After the turbine, the gases are

allowed to expand through the
exhaust nozzle to atmospheric
pressure, producing a high
velocity jet in the exhaust
plume.

In a convergent nozzle, the

ducting narrows progressively
to a throat.
Turbofan Engines

Engine Core
Turbofan Engines
Bypass Air

Core Air

Bypass Ratio, α
Ratio of by pass air flow rate to core flow rate
Example: Bypass ratio of 6:1 means that air volume flowing through fan and
bypassing core engine is six times air volume flowing through core
 How Large Is The 777-300 Engine?

11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)

11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)

Engine is largest and most powerful turbofan built (11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) in diameter)
In this case, 737 cabin is a mere 3% wider than 777 engine
Combustor (Burners): Location

Commercial
PW4000

Combustor

Military
F119-100

Afterburner
Turbines: Location
Low Pressure Compressor (wlow)
High Pressure Compressor (whigh)

High and Low Pressure Turbines

 A Typical Gas Turbine System
17

A Two-Spool, Turbofan Engine

FAN FAN
EXHAUST
NOZZLE

COMBUSTOR

CORE
INLET LPC HPC HPT LPT EXHAUST
NOZZLE
 Components Working Together Make Up The
System
18

Basic Physics/Thermodynamics/Aerodynamics Govern Component Operation

FAN FAN
(Mixing Balances)
EXHAUST
NOZZLE

COMBUSTOR

INLET LPC HPC HPT LPT *

• Inlet RAM • Compressor Maps •Energy • Turbine Maps • Isentropic

• Isentropic • Adiabatic Balance • Adiabatic
expansion
compression compression expansion • Nozzle coefficients

*
• MASS CONSERVATION ~ Choked Flow
 Turbofan Components and Their Functions
19

Component Function
Inlet Decelerates incoming air to supply conditions required
at the engine face.
Kinetic energy decreases, thermal energy increases.
Total Pressure loss is minimized.

Low Pressure Compressor Pressurizes incoming air.

High Pressure Compressor Pressurizes incoming air.

Combustor ( Burner ) Converts fuel energy to thermal energy.

High Pressure Turbine Drives HPC by extracting energy from incoming air.
Air expands, pressure drops, energy is transferred to the HPC
through the high spool.
 Turbofan Components and Their Functions
20

Component Function
Low Pressure Turbine Drives LPC by extracting energy from
incoming air. Air expands, pressure
drops, energy is transferred to the LPC
through the low spool.

Primary Exhaust Nozzle Converts incoming thermal energy to

velocity and so produces thrust.

Fan Pressurizes incoming air

Fan Exhaust Nozzle Converts incoming thermal energy to

velocity and so produces thrust.
 Requirement for Design
21

 Jet engines are designed to a complex set of requirements.

 Mission : Military vs. commercial, long-range vs. short range.
 Operating Environment : Sea Level, hot-day to high-altitude.
 Operating Range : Starting from zero-speed to full-power takeoff.

 It is not possible to optimize the system for all of these requirements, so each engine is designed
provide a best overall compromise for its particular application.

 The resulting flow path, turbo machinery, and subsystems are known as the engine design. Often a
single critical point in the operating regime of the engine is designated the “design point.”

 Tests are then conducted to assure that the off-design operation of the engine is acceptable :
Operates reliably.
Has adequate fuel consumption.
Meets applicable noise regulations.
Has sufficient structural integrity…
Engine Requirements

 Efficiency
 Power and Weight: If the specific weight of an engine is decreased, the performance of the
aircraft will increase.

 Fuel Economy

 The basic parameter for describing the fuel economy of aircraft engines is specific fuel
consumption.

 Specific fuel consumption for an engine is the ratio of fuel flow to available brake
horsepower.

 Compactness

 To effect proper streamlining and balancing of an aircraft, the shape and size of the engine
must be compact.

 In a single engine aircraft, the shape and size of the engine will affect the view of the pilot.
Engine Requirements

 Durability and Reliability

 Durability is the amount of engine life obtained while maintaining the desired
reliability.

 Reliability and durability are built into the engine by the manufacture.

 Continued reliability is determined by the maintenance, overhaul, and operating

personnel

 Operating Flexibility

 The ability of an engine to run smoothly and give desired performance at all speeds
from idling to full-power.

 The engine must also function efficiently through all variations in atmospheric
conditions.
Jet Characteristics of Practical Propulsion Systems

System Jet Velocity (m/s)

Turbofan 200 - 600

Turbojet (sea-level, static) 350 - 600

Turbojet (Mach 2 at 36000 ft) 900 - 1200

Ramjet (Mach 2 at 36000 ft) 900 - 1200

Ramjet (Mach 4 at 36000 ft) 1800 - 2400

Solid Rocket 1500 – 2600

Liquid Rocket 2000 – 3500

 Commercial and Military Engines-
(Approx. Same Thrust, Approx. Correct Relative Sizes)

GE CFM56 for Boeing 737 FT~30,000 lbf, a ~

5
• Demand higher efficiency
• Fly at lower speed (subsonic, M∞ ~ 0.85)
• Engine has large inlet area
• Engine has lower specific thrust
• Ue/Uo → 1 and hprop ↑

 Demand high T/W

 Fly at high speed
 Engine has small inlet area
(low drag, low radar cross-
section)
 Engine has high specific
thrust
 Ue/Uo ↑ and hprop ↓ P&W 119 for F- 22, FT~35,000 lbf, a ~ 0.3
 Example: Specific Impulse
PW4000 Turbofan
 Airbus A310-300, A300-600, Boeing 747-
400, 767-200/300, MD-11
 FT ~ 250,000 N
 TSFC ~ 17 g/kN s ~ 1.7x10-5 kg/Ns
 Fuel mass flow ~ 4.25 kg/s
 Specific impulse (Isp) ~ 6,000 seconds
SSME
• Space Shuttle Main Engine
• T ~ 2,100,000 N (vacuum)
• LH2 flow rate ~ 70 kg/s
• LOX flow rate ~ 425 kg/s
• Specific impulse (Isp) ~ 430
seconds
Propulsive Efficiency For Different Engine
Types
 Overall Propulsion System Efficiency

 Trends in thermal efficiency are driven by increasing compression ratios and

corresponding increases in turbine inlet temperature
 Trends in propulsive efficiency are due to generally higher bypass ratio
 Fuel Consumption Trend

• U.S. airlines, hammered by soaring oil prices, will

spend a staggering $5 billion more on fuel in 2007
or even a greater sum, draining already thin cash
reserves
• Airlines are among the industries hardest hit by
JT8D high oil prices
Fuel Burn

JT9D PW4084
Future
Turbofan
PW4052

NOTE: No Numbers

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Year