Basics of Propulsion

Propulsion Devices (Engines)

Air-Breathing Rockets
Use atmospheric air (+ some Carry entire propellant
fuel) as main propellant (liquid/solid fuel + oxygen)

Piston, Gas Turbine and

Ramjet Engines

Gas Turbine Engines (most aircraft jet engines):

• Use high-temperature gases to power a propeller or produce
direct thrust by expanding and accelerating the exhaust gases
through a nozzle.
• Three main types: Turbojet, Turbofan and Turboprop
JET Engine
 Jet Engines – Basic Operation
• Air enters the trough the intake duct (cowl).
• Air compressed by passage through the compressor.
• Mixed with fuel in the combustion chamber.
• Fuel is ignited, Pressure and Temperature raised
• Some of the pressure used to turn a turbine;
•Turbine shaft drives the compressor.
• Hot, high pressure air forced through a nozzle.
• The reaction force is the engine thrust.
 How a jet engine works
Jet engine move the airplane forward with
a great force that is produced thrust and
cause the plane to fly very fast.

Fuel Burner
•Fuel is mixed with the air , and
Air intake electric spark light the air, cause it to
•Sucked in by the compressor. combust.
Compressor
Combustion chamber
•series of vanes and stators.
•The air is burst.
•The vanes rotate, while the
•Increase in the temperature of the
stator remains stationary.
air, thus increase in pressure inside
•Compressor speed and
the engine.
temperature increases gradually
.
Turbine Jet pipe and propelling nozzle
•Works like a windmill •the hot air rushes out the nozzle.
•The blades gain energy from the hot gassed •High pressure
moving past them. •Hot air russes out at very high speed
•This movement is used to power the
compressor.
 Brayton Cycle

• Gas turbines are described thermodynamically by the

Brayton cycle
• In this cycle:
1. air is compressed isentropically
2. combustion occurs at constant pressure
3. heated air expands through the turbine
4. heat is rejected into the atmosphere
Advantages of gas turbine engines
• Very high power-to-weight ratio
• More size efficient
• Moves in one direction only, with fewer
moving parts
• Low operating pressures
• High operation speeds
• Low lubricating oil cost and consumption
 Disadvantages of gas turbine engines
• More expensive compared to a similar-sized
reciprocating engine
• More complex machining operations
• Usually less efficient than reciprocating
engines, especially at idle
• Delayed response to changes in power
settings
Jet Engine – Common Types
 Jet Engine – Common Types
• Turbojets:
• Turbine used to drive the compressor.
• All intake air passes through the combustion chamber and exits through the nozzle.
• All thrust produced by hot, high-speed exhaust gases.
•Turbofans (Fan-Jet):
• A large propeller in the intake cowl, in front of compressor.
• Dramatically increases the amount of air pulled in the intake.
• Only a small percentage passed through the engine, the rest of cold air is Bypassed.
• Part of the thrust through the hot exhaust gases and part by the cold bypassed air.
Produces cooler exhausts and quieter engines.
• High by-pass ratio are most commonly used in larger commercial aircraft.
•Turboprops:
• Jet engine used to turn a large propeller, which produces most (90% or more) of the
thrust. Used in smaller aircraft.
How do Propellers Produce Thrust?
The rotating propeller of the aircraft is cambered like a typical aerofoil.

This camber affects the airflow in front of the propeller by speeding it

up.

The high velocity of the air results in a lower static pressure in front of
the propeller (Bernoulli’s principle).

Thrust & Acceleration

Thrust is required to accelerate an airplane in a horizontal manner,
and drag is produced as a reaction force, resisting the aircraft’s
forward motion.

To accelerate, the thrust produced by airplane propellers must

necessarily be greater than the drag produced as a consequence. If
these two were to be equal, the airplane would be in a state of
equilibrium, with no forward motion.
 Turbo Jet

•The turbo engine is a reaction engine .

•Substantial increase in thrust can be obtained by employing an afterburner.

Turbofan

•The objective of the sort of

bypass system is to increase
thrust without increasing
fuel consumption.

•It achieves this by

increasing the total air-
mass flow and reducing the
velocity within the same
total energy supply
Turboprop

•A turboprop is a jet
engine attached to a
propeller.

•Modern turboprop
engine are equipped
with propeller that
have a smaller
diameter but a large
number of a blades for
efficient operation at
much higher flight
speed.
Turboshaft

• It doesn't have a
propeller.

• It provide power for a

helicopter rotor.

• It permits the rotor speed

to be kept constant even
when the speed of the
generator is varied.
 Ramjets
•Ramjets are very different type of jet engines from design point of view.
•The front side of a ramjet has a conical part which compresses the intake air.
•At the exit of the inlet, the air is at a much higher pressure than free stream
conditions.
•Fuel is injected for combustion & produces thrust by expelling the hot gases
through the nozzle.
•These types of engines have no moving parts yet they are able to achieve speed
of Mach 5 (5 times the speed of sound).
•These engines don’t develop ant static thrust; hence a ramjet vehicle need some
type of assisted takeoff such as another aircraft.
•Ramjets are mainly used in guided missile systems.
Scramjets
•The name “scramjet” comes from “Supersonic Combusting ramjet” !
•Like a ramjet, they consist of an inlet, a combustor, and a nozzle. The
primary difference between ramjets and scramjets is that scramjets do not
slow the oncoming airflow to subsonic speeds for combustion, they use
supersonic combustion instead.
•Scramjets can operate at speeds above Mach 6 where traditional ramjets are
too inefficient.
•Advantages :- 1) Does not have to carry oxygen. 2) No rotating parts makes
it easier to manufacture than a turbojet. 3) Higher speed could mean cheaper
access to outer space in the future.
•Disadvantages :- 1) Difficult / expensive testing and development. 2) Very
high initial propulsion requirements.
 Comparison with Turbojets

•Has got compressor ,turbine •No compressor , turbine.

•Heavy •Light in weight.
•Mach no.< 2 •Mach no 2 to 5.
•Start only at Mach 2 and above.
 Jet Engine Vs Rockets
Jet Engine Rockets

Oxygen from atmosphere for Carry their own for combustion.

combustion.
Work only in atmosphere. Work in vacuum and atmosphere.

Liquid fuel. Liquid and solid fuel.

Complex structure. Simple structure.

High efficiency. Low efficiency.

 Merits and Demerits

Merits of jet engine over IC engine Demerits of jet engine over IC engine

•Mechanical efficiency of jet engine is •Thermal efficiency of jet engine is low

high as compared to IC engine. compared to IC engine.

•Weight and speed of jet engine per HP •Difficult to start.

developed is higher then IC engine.
•Turbine blades need a special cooling
•Ignition and lubricating system are system due high temperature.
much simpler in jet engine then IC
engine.