INTRODUCTION TO AIRCRAFT GAS TURBINE

ENGINES

CPL TAMAKLOE EDEM EMMANUEL

AEROMECH INSTRUCTOR
SCOPE

• Gas Turbine Engine Operation Principles

• Engine Systems
 OBJECTIVES
• The expected learning outcome is that the student is able to
• Explain the engine working cycle of an aircraft gas turbine
engine
• State how the energy is converted during the flow of air through
the gas turbine engine
• Classify aircraft gas turbine engines according to their principal
configuration
• List the systems associated with an aircraft gas turbine engine,
e.g. fuel control system, starting system, air bleed/air supply
system
 GAS TURBINE ENGINE OPERATION PRINCIPLES
• The turbojet engine can be considered as being the basic gas turbine for
aircraft.
• A can-like horizontal container which is open at both ends, the so-called
’engine case’, houses the internal parts.
• The case is made of several sections to facilitate assembly and
disassembly of the engine.
• During operation huge quantities of air enter the case through the inlet
at the front.
• Inside the engine the air is greatly heated and accelerated by being
burnt with fuel.
• The air remaining after the combustion process and the gases produced
by the combustion are exhausted through the outlet at the rear
BASIC COMPONENTS OF A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
 CONTINUE…

• A compressor is located in the forward section of the engine

case.
• The compressor is followed by a combustion chamber.
• Behind this chamber a set of driving turbines is fitted which
rotate the compressor and other engine accessories.
• At the end of the case there is the engine jet pipe (or: exhaust
duct) which leads to the opening at the rear of the pipe, the
’exhaust nozzle’.
CONTINUE….
• As the turbine rotors and the compressor are both mounted on
the same shaft, they operate as one unit.
• A single-compressor turbojet engine has only one major moving
part (the ’spool’).

• Note:
• The other types of gas turbine engines, e.g. dual-compressor
engines, turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines, are
different versions or developments of the basic single
compressor turbojet.
ENGINE WORKING CYCLE

• Gas turbine engines use the thermal energy from the combustion
of fuel to produce mechanical power.
• The process of combustion is continuous, not intermittent.
• In a diesel engine (reciprocating), the process is divided into 4
steps.
• All 4 steps take place in the combustion chamber.
• In a gas turbine, these steps are carried out in different parts of the
engine assembly.
• The transformation of the thermal energy into mechanical energy
is done by the turbine section.
COMPARISSON OF ENGINE WORKING CYCLE
CONTINUE…
• The compressor raises the pressure of the incoming air before
passing it to the combustion chamber.
• Fuel is injected in a continuous stream through nozzles into the
front of the chamber.
• The resulting fuel-air mixture is ignited to produce hot,
expanding gas.
• This gas, which is now loaded with thermal energy, rushes into
the turbine section and causes the turbine rotors to revolve, i.e.
the thermal energy is converted into mechanical rotational
energy by the turbine.
CONTINUE…

• After leaving the turbine section the gases are expelled to the
outside air through the exhaust duct and the jet nozzle.
• A large portion of the power output of the engine (approx. 60 %)
is necessary to drive the compressor, the remaining power is
available for aircraft propulsion.
ENERGY CONVERSION

• During the working cycle of the gas turbine engine the passing
air receives and dissipates heat.
• During this process changes in the pressure, the velocity and the
temperature of the air occur whilst being converted from one
form of energy into another.
• These changes are closely interrelated according to the laws of
Boyle and Charles.
ENERGY CONVERSION CONT…

• Boyle’s law states:

• ’If the temperature remains constant, the volume of a gas varies
inversely as the pressure changes.

• ’ Charles’ law says:

• ’If the pressure is constant, the volume of a given mass of gas is
directly proportional to the absolute temperature.’
THESE CHANGES OCCUR AT 3 STAGES OF THE WORKING CYCLE:

1. During compression, when the air is compressed;

• This increases the pressure and the temperature of the air to enable
efficient combustion
2. During combustion, when fuel is added to the air and the mixture ignited;
• This increases the temperature and the velocity of the air in order to force
the turbine to rotate, whilst the pressure slightly decreases.
3. During expansion, when the energy of the gas stream is ’given away’ to
the turbine assembly to drive the compressor;
• This decreases the temperature, the pressure and the velocity of the air.
• Pressure is converted to velocity to provide thrust during the last phase
GAS TURBINE ENGINE PARAMETERS
 CONTINUE…

• Local zones of deceleration of the air are also required, e.g. in

the combustion chambers, to provide a low velocity zone for the
fuel-air mixture to ignite and burn.
 CHANGES IN VELOCITY AND PRESURE
• During the passage of the air through the engine, aerodynamic
and thermodynamic changes in air velocity and air pressure are
required.
• These various changes are achieved by the size and shape of the
ducts through which the air passes on its way through the
engine.
• Where a conversion from velocity (kinetic energy) to pressure is
required (potential) with the airflow being subsonic, a divergent
passage is used.
• Equally, where pressure energy (potential) is to be converted in a
subsonic airflow, a convergent passage is used
SUBSONIC AIRFLOWS THROUGH DIVERGENT DUCTS
SUBSONIC AIRFLOWS THROUGH CONVERGENT DUCTS
SUPERSONIC AIRFLOW THROUGH A CONVERGENT/DIVERGENT NOZZEL
(VENTURI)
 CHANGES IN VELOCITY AND PRESSURE CONT…
• With a supersonic airflow (above Mach 1) the airflow velocity
must be reduced to prevent the formation of shock waves and
associated ’stalling’ or ’choking’ of the duct.
• This is achieved by the use of a convergent-divergent passage
which, when subjected to supersonic airflow, in the convergent
section behaves in the opposite manner to a subsonic
convergent duct, i.e. velocity decreases and pressure increases.
• The convergent duct reduces velocity to less than Mach 1.
• The airflow becomes subsonic in the divergent duct and
therefore velocity decreases and pressure increases.
 CONTINUE…
• The pressure and velocity changes in a duct should not be
confused with the pressure and velocity changes in a nozzle, e.g.
the Laval nozzle, where maximum change in velocity is required
for thrust (acceleration = v2 - v1).
• Where supersonic speeds are encountered, e.g. in the propelling
nozzle of supersonic aircraft, a convergent-divergent engine
nozzle (the so-called ’Laval nozzle’) is used to obtain the
maximum conversion of the energy in the combustion gases into
kinetic energy.
• The design of the Laval nozzle is based on the fact that at speeds
above the speed of sound the pressure decreases below a critical
point and allows a further acceleration of the air.
 CONTINUE…

• To enable all the effects mentioned above the turbine section is

constructed similar to an axial-flow rotary compressor but with
increasing stage diameters.
• The process in the turbine is the opposite of a compressor.
• The compressed high-energy gas expands and gives its energy
to the turbine rotor.
 ENGINE CLASSIFICATION

• Gas turbine engines for aircraft are produced in many variations

and sizes.
• They are usually classified according to their main configuration:
• Turbojet
• Turboprop
• Turboshaft
• Turbofan engines.
• These, in turn, can be subdivided according to their design and
the internal arrangement of the components.
 TURBOJET ENGINES

• Turbojets are sometimes referred to as ’straight jets’ because

they do not possess any additional features like a fan, a propeller
or a free turbine.
• There are 2 types of turbojet:
• Centrifugal-flow-compressor type
• Axial-flow-compressor type.
• Both types may have one or more compressors.
• Some engines have both a centrifugal and an axial flow
compressor.
TURBOJET ENGINE WITH LOW BY- PASS RATIO
 TURBOJET ENGINES CONT…
• A modern type of turbojet engine is the so-called by-pass turbine
engine.
• The working principle is as follows:
• Only a portion of the compressed air is guided into the combustion
chamber, usually via a second compressor.
• The remaining air flows at a high velocity through ducts (so-called
’by-pass channels’) around the combustion chamber and expands in
the jet nozzle, i.e. behind the turbines, in order to produce thrust.
• That portion of the air, which is led to the combustion chamber, is
called ’primary air flow’.
• The air which is by-passed is named ’secondary air flow’.
 CONTINUE….

• The main advantage of by-pass turbine engines is the relatively

low fuel consumption because the gas burnt in the combustion
chamber is mainly (sometimes even exclusively) used to drive
the compressor.
• The major portion (or even the whole) of the aircraft’s propelling
force is produced by the ’cold’ air rushing through the by-pass
ducts.
TURBOJET OR STRAIGHT JET ENGINE
TURBOJET ENGINE
 TURBOPROP ENGINES
• When the turbine of a basic turbojet engine is used to rotate a propeller
via a speed-reducing gear system the engine is called a ’turboprop’
engine.
• In some types of turboprop engine a separate free rotating turbine
module is incorporated in the turbine assembly which drives the propeller.
• This type is known as a ’free power turbine’.
• Such a turbine operates independent of the compressor-driving turbines.
• It is free to rotate by itself in the engine exhaust gas stream.
• The shaft on which the free turbine is mounted drives the propeller via the
reduction gear system.
• Most turboprop aircraft are fitted with free power turbines.
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR TURBOPROP ENGINE
AXIAL COMPRESSOR TURBOPROP ENGINE
TURBOPROP ENGINE
GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH FREE POWER TURBINE
TURBOSHAFT ENGINES

• lf the shaft of a free power turbine is not used to drive an aircraft

propeller but other types of propulsion devices, e.g. the rotor of
a helicopter, the engine is called a ’turboshaft engine’ (or: ’shaft
turbine engine’).
• Turboshaft engines combined with a reduction gear system are
often used to power ships and trains.
TURBOSHAFT ENGINE
TURBOSHAFT ENGINE
 TURBOFAN ENGINES
• Basically a turbofan engine is very similar to a turboprop engine.
• The differences are as follows:
• Greater secondary airflow
• Larger by-pass ratio
• The gear-driven propeller used in a turboprop engine is replaced by a
ducted axial-flow fan with rotating blades and stationary vanes.
• The blades and vanes are larger than those of an axial flow compressor
but of similar shape and function.
 TURBOFAN ENGINES CONT…
• There are 2 main configurations of the turbofan engine;
• Each of which has its advantages.
• In one configuration the fan is placed at the front of the engine.
• While in the other the fan is mounted at the rear of the engine.
• The first, called a ’front fan engine’, is the type most generally
used today.
• In a dual-compressor forward fan engine, the fan is an integral
part of the low-pressure compressor.
TURBOFAN ENGINES
TURBOFAN ENGINES
TURBOFAN EXAMPLE
 ENGINE SYSTEMS

• The systems normally associated with a gas turbine engine are:

• Lubrication system
• Fuel control system
• Ignition system
• Starting system
• Air bleed/air supply system.
 LUBRICATION SYSTEM

• The lubrication systems for gas turbine engines are similar in

many respects to lubrication systems for piston engines.
• An oil-supply tank is mounted on or near the engine, and the oil
is pumped to the bearings and gears in the engine under
pressure supplied by the main pressure pump.
 LUBRICATION SYSTEM CONT…
• The system includes
• Pressure-relief valves; To prevent excessive pressures.
• Filters; to remove foreign particles from the lubricant.
• Sump; Inside the engine the oil is drained to one or more sumps from where it
is collected.
• Scavenge pumps; collects the oil and return it to the oil tank by pressure.
• Oil tank; stores the oil.
• Oil cooler; On many engines the oil is routed through fuel-cooled oil coolers
which heat the fuel and cool the oil at the same time.
• Heat exchanger; The hot oil is passed through a set of passages and the cold
fuel through adjacent passages so that the heat of the oil is transferred to the
fuel.
 CONTINUE…

• The lubricant used with the majority of modern high-

performance engines is of the synthetic type which withstands
much higher temperatures than the petroleum-type lubricants
used before and maintains viscosity
 FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM
• The fuel system for a turbojet engine incorporates
• Boost pumps
• Engine-driven pumps
• Filters
• Flow indicators
• Shut-off valves
• Drain valves
• A fuel heating unit
• The main fuel control unit
• Fuel nozzles
• An afterburner fuel control unit (if the engine is equipped with an afterburner).
FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM CONT…
• The most important part of the fuel system is the fuel control
unit.
• Among the parameters fed into the fuel control unit the most
important are:
• Power lever (throttle) position
• Compressor inlet temperature
• Engine speed
• Compressor discharge pressure
• Exhaust gas temperature (EGT)
 CONTINUE…
• The fuel control unit compares the values of these parameters and adjusts the
fuel metering orifice as required.
• The fuel flow to the nozzles is controlled according to all the conditions of
operation in order to avoid excessive fuel supply to the engine regardless of
the throttle position.
• When the throttle is moved from the ’idle’ position to the ’full power’ position
the fuel control unit will supply the correct amount of fuel for the engine under
actual conditions to ensure the best performance within the engine limits.
• As engine speed and air flow rise the fuel control unit adjusts the increase in
fuel flow accordingly in order to provide a proper rate of acceleration and to
prevent the overheating of the engine or a so-called ’rich blow-out’.
• When the throttle is moved from a ’cruise’ or ’full power’ position to the ’idle’
position the fuel flow will decrease gradually to prevent a ’lean flame-out’.
 IGNITION SYSTEM

• Ignition systems for gas turbine engines are not designed for
continuous operation.
• They differ considerably from those designed for piston engines.
• The energy of the spark produced by the gas turbine’s ignition system
is several times higher than that of the spark of a piston engine’s
ignition system.
• The major reasons are that the fuel-air mixture in a gas turbine
combustor moves at a high velocity and that it is not evenly
distributed.
IGNITION SYSTEM CONT…
• The ignition system is therefore designed to produce a large,
flaming spark.
• The spark igniters, i.e. the spark plugs, of a gas turbine engine
are usually located in 2 positions (usually opposite each other).
• If the combustion chamber is of the ’can’ type or the ’cannular’
type spark igniters are located in a position where they can
ignite the fuel in 2 of the chambers.
• The flame is then carried to the other chambers via flame tubes.
 STARTING SYSTEM

• Gas turbine engines use a variety of starting systems.

• The pneumatic starter is most commonly used on large engines.
• Pneumatic starters may be supplied with air either from a ground
cart (a so-called air start unit), from a high-pressure bottle mounted
in the aircraft or from an auxiliary power unit (APU) mounted in the
aircraft
• On multi- engined aircraft, once an engine is started it can supply air
(HP) to another engine to operate the starter (’cross start’).
 AIR BLEED/AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM
• The compressed air from the compressor section of the gas-turbine
engine is used for a number of purposes.
• It is important to know that the compression of the air causes a large
rise in its temperature.
• The air at the last stage of the compressor may reach a temperature
of more than 350 °C as a result of the compression.
• This heated air is routed through the compressor inlet struts to
prevent icing.
• It is also used for various other heating tasks, e.g. for operation of
the fuel heater, the aircraft heating and the thermal anti-icing
system.
 AIR BLEED/AIR SUPPLY SYSTEM CONT…
• Some gas turbine engines are provided with automatic air bleeds which operate
during the starting of the engine in order to prevent air from piling up at the
high-pressure end of the compressor and ’choking’ the engine.
• This permits smoother starting and accelerating without the risk of a compressor
stall.
• Compressed air is also used within the engine to provide cooling for the turbine
wheel(s) and the turbine nozzle guide vanes.
• These vanes are hollowed to provide passages for the cooling air which is carried
through the engine from the compressor to the area surrounding the nozzle
diaphragm.
• Even though the air has been heated by compression well above its initial
temperature, it is still much cooler than the burning exhaust gases and can
therefore provide relative cooling.
 CONTINUE…

• The air flow from the compressor is also used to pressurise

internal areas and to control the oil flow through the labyrinth
seals and around bearings.
• By application of pressure in the correct area the flowing oil can
be directed to move toward the sumps, from where it is
collected by the scavenge pumps and returned to the main oil
tank.
QUESTION TIME???