Turbine Engine Design
Overview
Turbine engines provide a tremendous amount of thrust for an aircraft. Takeoff requires the maximum thrust available to accelerate the aircraft from rest to takeoff speed before the end the runway. During cruise the engines must overcome drag throughout the flight. Engine designers must balance the thrust needs with fuel economy. Inefficient engines mean that more fuel must be carried and more fuel is used than needed. Both result in a cost increase for the airline operator or a military.
In this activity I use the NASA software simulator to design a turbine engine
that will be the most fuel-efficient engine.
In this activity I use the NASA software simulator to design a turbine engine
that will be the most fuel-efficient engine.
Equipment
- Engineering notebook
- PC
- Pencil
- Internet access
Engine Information - Afterburner
The idea behind an afterburner is to inject fuel directly into the exhaust stream and burn it using this remaining oxygen. This heats and expands the exhaust gases further, and can increase the thrust of a jet engine by 50% or more.
The big advantage of an afterburner is that you can significantly increase the thrust of the engine without adding much weight or complexity to the engine. An afterburner is nothing but a set of fuel injectors, a tube and flame holder that the fuel burns in, and an adjustable nozzle. A jet engine with an afterburner needs an adjustable nozzle so that it can work both with the afterburners on and off.
The big advantage of an afterburner is that you can significantly increase the thrust of the engine without adding much weight or complexity to the engine. An afterburner is nothing but a set of fuel injectors, a tube and flame holder that the fuel burns in, and an adjustable nozzle. A jet engine with an afterburner needs an adjustable nozzle so that it can work both with the afterburners on and off.