Aircraft Engines

AC engines.ppt

How Aircraft Engines work ?

Aircraft engines are the heart on any aircraft. They gives aircraft a identity. A aircraft engine is selected for an aircraft according to its purpose.

Like an engine selection depends on following factors:

For a Commercial Aircraft Turbofans are used because:

1. Less noisy: As an aircraft has to function near a general public area.

2. Takeoff Runway Length: If runway is short then the engine needs to produce more thrust for takeoff which will produce more noise. And longer runways are not a constraint in commercial area.

3. Maximum Speed: In Commercial sector we don't need much high speed because a general person can't fly at that speed.

4. Economical: For profit in Commercial sector we need require-thrust at less fuel burn.

For a Defense Aircraft Turbojets, Afterburn and Hybrid engines (Turbofan/jet+Ramjet) are used because:

1. Takeoff Runway Length: Due to short runway length we need powerful engines as runway length constraint in Defense sector and quick takeoff and landing is required.

2. Maximum Speed: In Defense sector higher the speed, better the chances of being safe from enemy.

3. Economical: Engines used in Defense need not to be economical as its not primary.

4. Less noisy: Defense aircraft do not function near public area.And high speed and short takeoff is primary for defense.

For Space Aircraft there are different engines used which works with the help of gases that is why they are also called Gas Engines. Aircraft Engines like Scramjet (Hypersonic aircraft) is used for much different purpose... Like NASA's X-43 is used for Space purpose as they can achieve/maintain the speed up-to Mach 9.8 and above...You can download the details of all American X-Vehicles from here.

Watch the functioning of different types of aircraft engines. Know their working principles and performance of different types of engines (like: Turboprop, Turbojet, Turbofan, Ramjet and Scramjet) with comparison between then.

Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) which gives initial start-up to aircraft engines and work for more different purposes in an aircraft as a backup power unit.

Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) which is a micro-controller attached to engine, it automates the aircraft engines to keep a self updation of its performances along with the details of each part of engine. It helps the engine to monitor it performance. I also tell which part of engine needs to be change. It improves the life of engines.

Find out more self-explanatory videos on their working, safety standards followed by industry and working-mechanism of recent Boeing's 787 Dreamliner engine (GEnx-1B) which was built by GE and Rolls Royce.

Also find TOP Competitors in market which are making engines for commercial as well as for defense sectors and their clients...

Topics being discussed in followed presentation are :

  • Working Principle

  • Types of Aircraft Engines

    • Shaft Engines (In-line, Rotary, V-Type, Opposed and Radial)

    • Turbine Engines (Turboprop and Turboshaft)

    • Reaction Engines (Turbojet, Turbofan, Afterburn, Ramjet and Scramjet)

  • Performance Comparison

  • Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)

  • Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC)

  • How Aircraft Engine works ?

  • Next Generation Engine - GEnx-1B by- GE

  • Calculation of Thrust Generated

  • Safety Standards followed

  • Top market Competitors

  • Summary

Aircraft Engine components :

  • Fan : Fan is the first part of an aircraft. It is fitted at the front of the engine to suck the air for compression. Because the Thrust of an aircraft is totally dependent on the exiting exhaust air from engine rear, which is totally dependent on the air sucked by the fan from outside atmosphere.

    • Turboprop are having propellers at the front which provides the air for compression to engine as well as that air is also used for cooling of engine.

    • Turbofans are having bigger front fan kit which sucks the large amount of Inlet Air for compression. All the air provided by fan is not used for the Core, (is not passed through the compressor and combustor) some percent of the air is used for the cooling of engine that is also known as By-Pass Ratio. Based on this the Turbofan engines are further divided into two different category:

      • High By-pass

      • Low By-pass

  • Compressor

  • Combustor

  • Turbine

Note: For more information on GE Engines click here