Turbine Engine

Brayton Cycle
• The Brayton cycle is also known as the constant-pressure cycle.
•
• Point I in the drawing indicates the condition of the air in front of the
engine before it is affected by the inlet duct of the engine.

• After the air enters the inlet duct, it is diffused and the static
pressure increases. This is indicated by point 2, which represents the
air condition at the entrance to the compressor.
• Through the compressor, the air volume is decreased and the
pressure is increased substantially, as shown by the curve from point
2 to point 3. At point 3, fuel is injected and burned, causing a rapid
increase in volume and temperature. Because of the design of the
combustion chamber, the pressure drops slightly as the velocity of
the hot gas mixture increases to the rear.

• At point 4, the heated gases enter the turbine where energy is

extracted, causing decreases in both pressure and temperature.

• The curve from point 5 to point 6 represents the condition in the

exhaust nozzle as the gases flow out to ambient pressure.
• The difference between the positions of point I and point 6 indicates
the expansion of air caused by the addition of heat from the burning
fuel
• The temperature diagram for the Brayton
cycle is shown in Figure.
• Note that the temperature increases
because of compression.
• During combustion, the pressure drops
slightly and the temperature increases at
a rapid rate as a result of the burning of
fuel.
• During expansion of the gases through
the turbine, the temperature and
pressure of the gases are reduced to the
point where the gases enter the
atmosphere.
• At this time, the temperature is still
considerably above the temperature of
the ambient atmosphere, but it decreases
rapidly as the gases leave the jet nozzle
and go into the atmosphere behind the
engine
 • The types of gas turbine engines used to propel and power aircraft are
• A gas turbine engine consists of: the turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and turbojet.
• High speed jet is more efficient at high flight speeds.
1. An air inlet,
• High atmospheric humidity has little or no effect on the operation of a
jet engine.
2. Compressor section,
• Thrust horse power is calculated using net thrust.

3. Combustion section, • The equation of thrust is derived from Newton's second law of motion.
• The principle of jet reaction is an internal phenomenon.
4. Turbine section, • The four common types of jet reaction engines are the turbo jet, ram
jet, pulse jet, rocket jet.
5. Exhaust section, • The engine pressure ratio (EPR) is the total pressure ratio across a jet
engine, measured as the ratio of the total pressure at the exit of the
propelling nozzle divided by the total pressure at the entry to the
6. Accessory section, and compressor. Jet engines use either EPR or compressor/fan RPM as an
indicator of thrust.
7. The systems necessary for starting, lubrication, fuel • The amount of force or thrust produced depends on the amount of
mass of air moved through the engine and the extent to which this air
supply, and auxiliary purposes, such as anti-icing, can be accelerated.

cooling, and pressurization. • At the higher engine speeds, thrust increases rapidly with small
increases in RPM.
 Turbofan Engine
• The turbofan engine was developed to turn a large fan or set
of fans at the front of the engine and produce about 80
percent of the thrust from the engine.

• This engine are quieter and has better fuel consumption in

the speed range (.8 Mach).

• Turbofan engines have more than one shaft in the engine;

many are two-shaft engines. This means that there is a
compressor and a turbine that drives it and another
compressor and turbine that drives it.
• These two shafted engines use two spools (a spool is a
compressor and a shaft and turbines that driven that
compressor).
• In a two-spool engine, there is a high-pressure spool and a
low pressure spool.
• The low-pressure spool generally contains the fan(s) and the
turbine stages it takes to drive them. The high-pressure spool
is the high-pressure compressor, shaft, and turbines.
• This spool makes up the core of the engine, and this is where
the combustion section is located. The high-pressure spool is
also referred to as the gas generator because it contains the
combustion section.
• Turbofan engines can be low bypass or high bypass.

• The amount of air that is bypassed around the core of the engine determines the bypass ratio.

• The air generally driven by the fan does not pass through the internal working core of the
engine.

• The amount of air flow in lb/sec from the fan bypass to the core flow of the engine is the bypass
ratio.

• Some low-bypass turbofan engines are used in speed ranges above .8 Mach (military aircraft).
These engines use augmenters or afterburners to increase thrust.

• By adding more fuel nozzles and a flame holder in the exhaust system extra fuel can be sprayed
and burned which can give large increases in thrust for short amounts of time.

• The effect of turbofan design is to increase power/ weight ratio and improve thrust specific
fuel consumption.
Turboshaft Engine
• The turboshaft engine is a gas turbine engine made to transfer
horsepower to a shaft that turns a helicopter transmission or is an
onboard auxiliary power unit (APU).
• An APU is used on turbine-powered aircraft to provide electrical
power and bleed air on the ground and a backup generator in
flight.
• Turboshaft engines can come in many different styles, shapes, and
horsepower ranges.
PULSE JET ENGINE
• Pulse jet is a basic type of jet engine which comprises of a flapping air entry section.
• The pulse jet engine is somewhat more complex than the ram jet since it has a grill of
shutters located at the inlet of the engine. However, the operation of the pulse jet is
easier to understand. The shutters, which are kept open with springs, allow air to enter
the combustion chamber. As the air is packed into the combustion chamber, it is mixed
with fuel and ignited. The shutters are forced closed by the pressure of the exhaust gases
when combustion takes place.
• Consequently, the exhaust gases can only move down the tailpipe and out the exhaust.
Then the springs force the shutters to reopen, allowing more fresh air to enter, and the
cycle repeats. The length of the tailpipe of the pulse jet regulates the frequency of the
engine. Fuel flow is continuous, but flame propagation is intermittent, since the pulse jet
operates in a step-by-step cycle. This is the only form of jet propulsion that operates by
intermittent power surges, utilizing explosive rather than progressive or continuous
combustion. However, in most pulse jet engines, the cycles per second are rather high
and the net effect is practically continuous thrust. Pulse jet engines provide thrust for
some guided missiles.
Turbo-prop Engines Turbojet
• The turboprop engine is a gas turbine engine that turns a propeller
through a speed reduction gear box. This type of engine is most
efficient in the 300 to 400 mph speed range and can use shorter
• When the jet velocity increases,
runways. the thrust produced by a
• Approximately 80 to 85 percent of the energy developed by the gas
turbine engine is used to drive the propeller. The rest of the available turbojet Increases.
energy exits the exhaust as thrust.
• A turboprop power plant propeller accounts for 75 to 85 percent of
the total thrust output.
• Maximum kinetic energy is
• By adding the horsepower developed by the engine shaft and the
wasted in a turbojet.
horsepower in the exiting thrust, the answer is equivalent shaft
horsepower • Turbojet engines are very
•
•
At low altitude and below sonic speed turboprop is more efficient.
In normal cruising speed ranges, the propulsive efficiency of a
efficient at high speed & high
turboprop engine decreases as speed increases. altitude flying because of high
• In a turboprop aircraft, the propeller generates thrust by imparting
small acceleration to large amount of air. propulsive efficiency.
• In a turboprop engine only a small amount of jet thrust is available
from the exhaust system. • Turbojet is lighter in terms of
• In a turboprop engine reverse thrust action is obtained by changing the
pitch of the propeller blade.
specific weight per kg thrust.
• On cold days Short take off run is required.
Ramjet Engine
• The simplest type of air-breathing reaction engine. Air entering the
front of the engine at a high velocity has fuel sprayed into it and
ignited. A barrier formed by the incoming air forces the expanding
gases to leave through the nozzle at the rear. The energy added by
the burning fuel accelerates the air and produces a forward thrust.
Ramjet engines are used in some military unmanned aircraft that are
initially boosted to a speed high enough for the engine to function.
Efficiencies Propulsive Efficiency
The efficiency of any engine can be described as • Propulsive efficiency is the amount of
the output divided by the input. One of the main thrust developed by the jet nozzle
measures of turbine engine efficiency is the compared with the energy supplied to it in
amount of thrust produced or generated, divided a usable form.
by the fuel consumption. This is called thrust • In other words, the propulsive efficiency is
specific fuel consumption, or tsfc. The tsfc is the the percentage of the total energy made
amount of fuel required to produce 1 lb [0.004 available by the engine which is effective in
45 kN] of thrust and can be calculated as follows: propelling the engine.
Tsfc= wf/fn • Propulsive efficiency can also be expressed
where wf= fuel flow, lb/h [kg/h] as:
Fn = net thrust, lb [kg] Work completed/ Work completed+ work
wasted in the exhaust
This leads to the conclusion that the more thrust
obtained per pound of fuel, the more efficient • Propulsive efficiency is defined as internal
the engine is. engine efficiency.
Specific fuel consumption is made up of a • The propulsive efficiency of a by pass
number of other efficiencies. The two major engine is more than that of a turbojet
factors affecting the tsfc are propulsive efficiency because of lower velocity of jet efflux.
and cycle efficiency. • In normal cruising range the propulsive
efficiency of a turbojet decreases as speed
increases.
Cycle Efficiency
Cycle efficiency is the amount of energy put into a usable form in
comparison with the total amount of energy available in the fuel. It
involves combustion efficiency, thermal efficiency, mechanical
efficiency, compressor efficiency, etc. It is, in effect, the overall
efficiency of the engine components starting with the compressor and
going through the combustion chamber and turbine. The job of these
components is to get the energy in the fuel into a form which the jet
nozzle can turn into thrust.
Air Entrance
• The air entrance is designed to conduct incoming air to the
compressor with a minimum energy loss resulting from drag or ram
pressure loss; that is, the flow of air into the compressor should be
free of turbulence to achieve maximum operating efficiency.
• Proper inlet design contributes materially to aircraft performance by
increasing the ratio of compressor discharge pressure to duct inlet
pressure. This is also referred to as the compressor pressure ratio.
• This ratio is the outlet pressure divided by the inlet pressure. The
amount of air passing through the engine is dependent upon three
factors:

1. The compressor speed (rpm)

2. The forward speed of the aircraft

3. The density of the ambient (surrounding) air

• Duct pressure efficiency ratio is defined as ability of the duct to
convert kinetic energy of the air stream into static pressure energy
without loss in total pressure.
• Turbine inlet type is dictated by the type of gas turbine • Turboprops and turboshafts can use an inlet screen to help filter
engine. out ice or debris from entering the engine. A deflector vane and a
heated inlet lip are used to prevent ice or large chunks from
entering the engine.
• A high-bypass turbofan engine inlet is completely different
from a turboprop or turboshaft inlet.
• On military aircraft, the divided entrance permits the use of very
short ducts with a resultant small pressure drop through skin
• Large gas turbine powered aircraft almost always have a friction.
turbofan engine. The inlet on this type of engine is bolted to
the front (A flange) of the engine. These engines are
mounted on the wings, or nacelles, on the aft fuselage, and a • Military aircraft can fly at speeds above Mach 1, but the airflow
few are in the vertical fin. through the engine must always stay below Mach 1. Supersonic
air flow in the engine would destroy the engine.

• Since on most modern turbofan engines the huge fan is the

first part of the aircraft the incoming air comes into contact • By using convergent and divergent shaped ducts, the air flow is
with, icing protection must be provided. controlled and dropped to subsonic speeds before entering the
engine.

• This prevents chucks of ice from forming on the leading edge

of the inlet, breaking loose, and damaging the fan. • Supersonic inlets are used to slow the incoming engine air to less
than Mach 1 before it enters the engine.
• Helicopters generally use a bell mouth inlet duct. These are
• Warm air is bled from the engine’s compressor and is ducted generally used for engine rating purpose.
through the inlet to prevent ice from forming. If inlet guide
vanes are used to straighten the air flow, then they also have • The air inlet duct is generally rated in Ram recovery point.
anti-icing air flowing through them. The inlet also contains
some sound-reducing materials that absorb the fan noise and • Buzz is an airflow instability which takes place in air inlet duct at
make the engine quieter. low air flow velocity.
• A subsonic business jet will have an inlet duct of divergent design.
 Compressor Section • A secondary function of the compressor is to supply
bleed air for various purposes in the engine and
aircraft.
• The compressor section of the gas turbine engine has • The bleed-air is taken from any of the various pressure
many functions. stages of the compressor.
• Air is often bled from the final or highest pressure
• Its primary function is to supply air in sufficient stage since, at this point, pressure and air temperature
quantity to satisfy the requirements of the combustion are at a maximum.
burners. • Bleed air is utilized in a wide variety of ways. Some of
the current applications of bleed air are:
• The compressor must increase the pressure of the
mass of air received from the air inlet duct, and then, 1. Cabin pressurization, heating, and cooling;
discharge it to the burners in the quantity and at the
pressures required.
2. Deicing and anti-icing equipment;
• The compressor stall is more severe at Low altitude and
high rpm. 3. Pneumatic starting of engines; and

4. Auxiliary drive units (ADU)

Compressor Types
• The two principal types of compressors currently being used in gas
turbine aircraft engines are centrifugal flow and axial flow.
• The centrifugal-flow compressor achieves its purpose by picking up
the entering air and accelerating it outwardly by centrifugal action.
• The axial-flow compressor compresses air while the air continues in
its original direction of flow, thus avoiding the energy loss caused by
turns.
• A stage in a compressor is considered to be a rise in pressure.
• Variable area entry guide vanes provide surge free compressor
operation.
Centrifugal-Flow Compressors
• The centrifugal-flow compressor consists of
an impeller (rotor), a diffuser (stator), and a
compressor manifold.
• Centrifugal compressors have a high pressure
rise per stage that can be around 8:1.
• Generally centrifugal compressors are limited
to two stages due to efficiency concerns.
• The two main functional elements are the
impeller and the diffuser. Although the
diffuser is a separate unit and is placed inside
and bolted to the manifold, the entire
assembly (diffuser and manifold) is often
referred to as the diffuser.
• The impeller is usually made from forged
aluminum alloy, heat treated, machined, and
smoothed for minimum flow restriction and
turbulence.
• The impeller is fabricated from a single
forging. The impeller, whose function is to
pick up and accelerate the air outwardly to
the diffuser, may be either of two types—
single entry or double entry.
• The principal differences between the two
types of impellers are size and ducting
arrangement. The double-entry type has a
smaller diameter, but is usually operated at a
higher rotational speed to assure sufficient
airflow.
• The single-entry impeller, permits convenient
ducting directly to the impeller eye (inducer
vanes) as opposed to the more complicated
ducting necessary to reach the rear side of
the double-entry type.
• Although slightly more efficient in receiving
air, the single entry impeller must be large in
diameter to deliver the same quantity of air
as the double-entry type. This, of course,
increases the overall diameter of the engine
• Included in the ducting for double-entry compressor engines is the
plenum chamber. This chamber is necessary for a double-entry
compressor because the air must enter the engine at almost right angles
to the engine axis.
• Therefore, in order to give a positive flow, the air must surround the
engine compressor at a positive pressure before entering the compressor.
• Included in some installations as necessary parts of the plenum chamber
are the auxiliary air-intake doors (blow-in doors).
• These blow-in doors admit air to the engine compartment during ground
operation, when air requirements for the engine are in excess of the
airflow through the inlet ducts. The doors are held closed by spring
action when the engine is not operating.
• During operation, however, the doors open automatically whenever
engine compartment pressure drops below atmospheric pressure.
• During takeoff and flight, ram air pressure in the engine compartment
aids the springs in holding the doors closed.
The diffuser is an annular chamber provided with a number of vanes forming a series of divergent passages into
the manifold. The diffuser vanes direct the flow of air from the impeller to the manifold at an angle designed to
retain the maximum amount of energy imparted by the impeller. They also deliver the air to the manifold at a
velocity and pressure satisfactory for use in the combustion chambers. Refer to Figure and note the arrow
indicating the path of airflow through the diffuser, then through the manifold.
The compressor manifold shown in Figure diverts the flow of air from the diffuser, which is an integral part of the
manifold, into the combustion chambers. The manifold has one outlet port for each chamber so that the air is
evenly divided. A compressor outlet elbow is bolted to each of the outlet ports. These air outlets are constructed
in the form of ducts and are known by a variety of names, such as air outlet ducts, outlet elbows, or combustion
chamber inlet ducts. Regardless of the terminology used, these outlet ducts perform a very important part of the
diffusion process; that is, they change the radial direction of the airflow to an axial direction, in which the
diffusion process is completed after the turn. To help the elbows perform this function in an efficient manner,
turning vanes (cascade vanes) are sometimes fitted inside the elbows. These vanes reduce air pressure losses by
presenting a smooth, turning surface.
Axial-Flow Compressor
• The axial-flow compressor has two main elements: a rotor
and a stator.
• The rotor has blades fixed on a spindle. These blades impel
air rearward in the same manner as a propeller because of
their angle and airfoil contour.
• The rotor, turning at high speed, takes in air at the
compressor inlet and impels it through a series of stages.
• From inlet to exit, the air flows along an axial path and is
compressed at a ratio of approximately 1.25:1 per stage.
• The action of the rotor increases the compression of the air
at each stage and accelerates it rearward through several
stages.
• With this increased velocity, energy is transferred from the
compressor to the air in the form of velocity energy.
• The stator blades act as diffusers at each stage, partially
converting high velocity to pressure. Each consecutive pair of
rotor and stator blades constitutes a pressure stage. The
number of rows of blades (stages) is determined by the
amount of air and total pressure rise required. Compressor
pressure ratio increases with the number of compression
stages. Most engines utilize up to 16 stages and more.
The stator has rows of vanes, which are in turn attached inside an enclosing case. The stator vanes, which are stationary,
project radially toward the rotor axis and fit closely on either side of each stage of the rotor blades. In some cases, the
compressor case, into which the stator vanes are fitted, is horizontally divided into halves. Either the upper or lower half
may be removed for inspection or maintenance of rotor and stator blades.
The function of the stator vanes is to receive air from the air inlet duct or from each preceding stage and increase the
pressure of the air and deliver it to the next stage at the correct velocity and pressure. They also control the direction of
air to each rotor stage to obtain the maximum possible compressor blade efficiency. The first stage rotor blades can be
preceded by an inlet guide vane assembly that can be fixed or variable.
The guide vanes direct the airflow into the first stage rotor blades at the proper angle and impart a swirling motion to the
air entering the compressor. This pre swirl, in the direction of engine rotation, improves the aerodynamic characteristics of
the compressor by reducing drag on the first stage rotor blades. The inlet guide vanes are curved steel vanes usually
welded to steel inner and outer shrouds.
At the discharge end of the compressor, the stator vanes are constructed to straighten the airflow to eliminate turbulence.
These vanes are called straightening vanes or the outlet vane assembly. The casings of axial-flow compressors not only
support the stator vanes and provide the outer wall of the axial path the air follows, but they also provide the means for
extracting compressor air for various purposes. The stator vanes are usually made of steel with corrosion- and erosion
resistant qualities. Quite frequently, they are shrouded(enclosed) by a band of suitable material to simplify the fastening
problem. The vanes are welded into the shrouds, and the outer shroud is secured to the compressor housing inner wall by
radial retaining screws.
• blade attachment to the rotor disk rims varies, but
they are commonly ftted into disks by either bulb-type
or fir-tree methods. The blades are then locked into
place by differing methods.

• Compressor blade tips are reduced in thickness by

cutouts, referred to as blade profiles. These profiles
prevent serious damage to the blade or housing
should the blades contact the compressor housing.

• This condition can occur if rotor blades become

excessively loose or if rotor support is reduced by a
malfunctioning bearing.
• Even though blade profiles greatly reduce such
possibilities, occasionally a blade may break under
stress of rubbing and cause considerable damage to
compressor blades and stator vane assemblies.

• The blades vary in length from entry to discharge

because the annular working space (drum to casing) is
reduced progressively toward the rear by the decrease
in the casing diameter. This feature provides for a
fairly constant velocity through the compressor, which
helps to keep the flow of air constant.
• The combination of the compressor stages and • One version of the solid-spool (one spool)
turbine stages on a common shaft is an engine compressor uses variable inlet guide vanes. Also,
referred to as an engine spool. The common the fIrst few rows of stator vanes are variable.
shaft is provided by joining the turbine and • The main difference between variable inlet guide
compressor shafts by a suitable method. The vane (VIGV) and a variable stator vane (VSV) is
engine’s spool is supported by bearings, which their position with regard to the rotor blades.
are seated in suitable bearing housings.
• VIGV are in front of the rotor blades, and VSV are
behind the rotor blades. The angles of the inlet
• There are two configurations of the axial guide vanes and the first several stages of the
compressor currently in use: the single stator vanes are can be variable.
rotor/spool and the dual rotor/spool, • During operation, air enters the front of the
sometimes referred to as solid spool and split engine and is directed into the compressor at the
spool (two spool, dual spool). proper angle by the variable inlet guide and
directed by the VSV. The air is compressed and
• Some high-volume turboprop and turbojet forced into the combustion section.
engines are equipped with two-spool or split • A fuel nozzle that extends into each combustion
compressors. When these engines are operated liner atomizes the fuel for combustion. These
at high altitude, the low-pressure rotor will variables are controlled in direct relation to the
increase in speed as the compressor load amount of power the engine is required to
decreases in the lower density air. produce by the power lever position
 Advantages of centrifugal flow compressor Disadvantages of centrifugal flow compressor

• High pressure rise per stage, • Its large frontal area for a given airflow and
• Efficiency over wide rotational speed range, • Losses in turns between stages.
• Simplicity of manufacture and low cost,
• Low weight, and
• Low starting power requirements.

Advantages of axial flow compressor Disadvantages of axial-flow compressor

• Good efficiencies over only narrow rotational speed
• High peak efficiencies; range,
• Small frontal area for given airflow; • Difficulty of manufacture and high cost,
• Straight-through flow, allowing high ram • Relatively high weight, and
efficiency; and
• Increased pressure rise by increasing number • High startig power requirements (partially overcome by
of stages,with negligible losses. split compressors).
 Diffuser
• The diffuser is the divergent section of the engine after the compressor and
before the combustion section. It has the all-important function of reducing
high-velocity compressor discharge air to increased pressure at a slower
velocity. This prepares the air for entry into the flame burning area of the
combustion section at a lower velocity so that the flame of combustion can
burn continuously. If the air passed through the flame area at a high velocity, it
could extinguish the flame.

• Kinetic energy contained by the air in a centrifugal compressor is converted in

to pressure energy by the diffuser.

• In a turbine engine the purpose of the diffuser section is to increase pressure

and reduce velocity.
 Combustion Section
• The combustion section houses the combustion process, which raises the
temperature of the air passing through the engine. This process releases energy
contained in the air/ fuel mixture.
• The major part of this energy is required at the turbine or turbine stages to drive
the compressor. About ²⁄³ of the energy is used to drive the gas generator
compressor.
• The remaining energy passes through the remaining turbine stages that absorb
more of the energy to drive the fan, output shaft, or propeller. Only the pure
turbojet allows the air to create all the thrust or propulsion by exiting the rear of
the engine in the form of a high-velocity jet.
• In a gas turbine engine combustion chamber contributes maximum forward
thrust.
• In the combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine local deceleration of air is
required to provide a low velocity zone in which the flame can burn.
• The primary function of the combustion • The location of the combustion section is
section is, of course, to burn the fuel/air directly between the compressor and the
mixture, thereby adding heat energy to the turbine sections. The combustion chambers
air. To do this efficiently, the combustion are always arranged coaxially with the
chamber must: compressor and turbine regardless of type,
 Provide the means for proper mixing of the since the chambers must be in a through-flow
fuel and air to assure good combustion position to function efficiently. All combustion
chambers contain the same basic elements:
1. Casing
 Burn this mixture efficiently, 2. Perforated inner liner
3. Fuel injection system
 Cool the hot combustion products to a 4. Some means for initial ignition
temperature that the turbine inlet guide
vanes/blades can withstand under operating 5. Fuel drainage system to drain off unburned
conditions, and fuel after engine shutdown
• There are currently three basic types of
 Deliver the hot gases to the turbine section combustion chambers:
1. Can type
2. Can-annular type
3. Annular type
 Can type combustion chamber
• The can-type combustion chamber
is typical of the type used on
turboshaft and APUs.
• Each of the can-type combustion
chambers consists of an outer case
or housing, within which there is a
perforated stainless steel (highly
heat resistant) combustion
chamber liner or inner liner.
• The outer case is removed to
facilitate liner replacement.
• Older engines with several combustion cans
had each can with interconnector (flame
propagation) tube, which was a necessary
part of the can-type combustion chambers.
• Since each can is a separate burner operating
independently of the other cans, there must
be some way to spread combustion during
the initial starting operation.
• This is accomplished by interconnecting all
the chambers. As the flame is started by the
spark igniter plugs in two of the lower
chambers, it passes through the tubes and
ignites the combustible mixture n the
adjacent chamber, and continues until all the
chambers are burning.
• The liners of the can-type combustors have perforations of • Some provision is always made in the combustion chamber
various sizes and shapes, each hole having a specific purpose case for installation of a fuel nozzle.
and effect on flame propagation within the liner.

• The fuel nozzle delivers the fuel into the liner in a finely
• The air entering the combustion chamber is divided by the atomized spray. The more the spray is atomized, the more
proper holes, louvers, and slots into two main streams— rapid and efficient the burning process is.
primary and secondary air.

• Two types of fuel nozzle currently being used in the various

• The primary or combustion air is directed inside the liner at types of combustion chambers are the simplex nozzle and the
the front end, where it mixes with the fuel and is burned. duplex nozzle.
Secondary or cooling air passes between the outer casing and
the liner and joins the combustion gases through larger holes
toward the rear of the liner, cooling the combustion gases • There are usually two igniters mounted on the boss provided
from about 3,500 °F to near 1,500 °F. on each of the chamber housings. The igniters must be long
enough to protrude from the housing into the combustion
chamber.
• To aid in atomization of the fuel, holes are provided around
the fuel nozzle in the dome or inlet end of the can-type
combustor liner.

• Louvers are also provided along the axial length of the liners
to direct a cooling layer of air along the inside wall of the
liner. This layer of air also tends to control the flame pattern
by keeping it centered in the liner, thereby preventing
burning of the liner walls.
• The forward face of each chamber
presents six apertures, which align with
the six fuel nozzles of the corresponding
fuel nozzle cluster.
• These nozzles are the dual-orifice
(duplex) type requiring the use of a flow-
divider (pressurizing valve)
• Around each nozzle are pre swirl vanes
for imparting a swirling motion to the fuel
spray, which results in better atomization
of the fuel, better burning, and efficiency.
• The swirl vanes function to provide two
effects imperative to proper flame
propagation:
1 High flame speed—better mixing of air
and fuel, ensuring spontaneous burning.
2 Low air velocity axially—swirling
eliminates overly rapid flame movement
axially.
• The swirl vanes greatly aid flame propagation,
since a high degree of turbulence in the early
combustion and cooling stages is desirable.
• The vigorous mechanical mixing of the fuel vapor
with the primary air is necessary, since mixing by
diffusion alone is too slow.
• This same mechanical mixing is also established by
other means, such as placing coarse screens in the
diffuser outlet, as is the case in most axial flow
engine.
• The flow of air through the holes and louvers of
the can annular chambers, is almost identical with
the flow through other types of burners.
• Special baffling is used to swirl the combustion
airflow and to give it turbulence.
• Figure shows the flow of combustion air, metal
cooling air, and the diluent or gas cooling air. The
air flow direction is indicated by the arrows.
• The basic components of an annular
combustion chamber are a housing and
a liner, as in the can type.
• The liner consists of an undivided
circular shroud extending all the way
around the outside of the turbine shaft
housing.
• The chamber may be constructed of
heat-resistant materials, which are
sometimes coated with thermal barrier
materials, such as ceramic materials.
• Modern turbine engines usually have
an annular combustion chamber. The
annular combustion chamber also uses
louvers and holes to prevent the flame
from contacting the side of the
combustion chamber.
 Turbine Section
• The turbine transforms a portion of the kinetic (velocity) energy of the exhaust gases
into mechanical energy to drive the gas generator compressor and accessories.
• The sole purpose of the gas generator turbine is to absorb approximately 60 to 70
percent of the total pressure energy from the exhaust gases.
• The exact amount of energy absorption at the turbine is determined by the load the
turbine is driving (i.e., compressor size and type, number of accessories, and the load
applied by the other turbine stages).
• These turbine stages can be used to drive a low-pressure compressor (fan), propeller,
and shaft. The turbine section of a gas turbine engine is located aft, or downstream, of
the combustion chamber.
• Specifically, it is directly behind the combustion chamber outlet.
• Turbines are exposed to very high temperatures. The ability of a metal to withstand
extreme changes in temperature in short periods of time is known as creep strength
• The turbine assembly consists of two
basic elements: turbine inlet guide vanes
and turbine blades.

• The stator element is known by a variety

of names, of which turbine inlet nozzle
vanes, turbine inlet guide vanes, and
nozzle diaphragm are three of the most
commonly used.

• The turbine inlet nozzle vanes are located

directly aft of the combustion chambers
and immediately forward of the turbine
wheel. This is the highest or hottest
temperature that comes in contact with
metal components in the engine. The
turbine inlet temperature must be
controlled or damage will occur to the
turbine inlet vanes.
• After the combustion chamber has introduced the heat energy into
the mass airflow and delivered it evenly to the turbine inlet nozzles,
the nozzles must prepare the mass air flow to drive the turbine rotor.
The stationary vanes of the turbine inlet nozzles are contoured and
set at such an angle that they form a number of small nozzles
discharging gas at extremely high speed; thus, the nozzle converts a
varying portion of the heat and pressure energy to velocity energy
that can then be converted to mechanical energy through the turbine
blades.

• The second purpose of the turbine inlet nozzle is to deflect the gases
to a specific angle in the direction of turbine wheel rotation. Since the
gas flow from the nozzle must enter the turbine blade passageway
while it is still rotating, it is essential to aim the gas in the general
direction of turbine rotation.
• The turbine inlet nozzle assembly consists of an inner shroud and
an outer shroud between which the nozzle vanes are fixed. The
number and size of inlet vanes employed vary with different
types and sizes of engines.
• The vanes of the turbine inlet nozzle may be assembled between
the outer and inner shrouds or rings in a variety of ways.

• Although the actual elements may vary slightly in configuration

and construction features, there is one characteristic peculiar to
all turbine inlet nozzles: the nozzle vanes must be constructed to
allow thermal expansion.

• Otherwise, there would be severe distortion or warping of the

metal components because of rapid temperature changes. The
thermal expansion of turbine nozzles is accomplished by one of
several methods. One method necessitates loose assembly of the
supporting inner and outer vane shrouds.

• Each vane fts into a contoured slot in the shrouds, which

conforms to the airfoil shape of the vane. These slots are slightly
larger than the vanes to give a loose ft. For further support, the
inner and outer shrouds are encased by inner and outer support
rings, which provide increased strength and rigidity. These
support rings also facilitate removal of the nozzle vanes as a unit.
Without the rings, the vanes could fall out as the shrouds were
removed
• The rotor element of the turbine section consists
essentially of a shaft and a wheel.

• The turbine wheel is a dynamically balanced unit

consisting of blades attached to a rotating disk.
The disk, in turn, is attached to the main power-
transmitting shaft of the engine.

• The exhaust gases leaving the turbine inlet nozzle

vanes act on the blades of the turbine wheel,
causing the assembly to rotate at a very high rate
of speed.

• The high rotational speed imposes severe

centrifugal loads on the turbine wheel, and at the
same time the elevated temperatures result in a
lowering of the strength of the material.

• Consequently, the engine speed and temperature

must be controlled to keep turbine operation
within safe limits.
• The turbine shaft is usually fabricated from alloy steel.
• It must be capable of absorbing the high torque loads that are
exerted on it. The methods of connecting the shaft to the turbine
disk vary.
• In one method, the shaft is welded to the disk, which has a butt or
protrusion provided for the joint. Another method is by bolting. This
method requires that the shaft have a hub that fits a machined
surface on the disk face. Then, the bolts are inserted through holes in
the shaft hub and anchored in tapped holes in the disk. Of the two
connection methods, bolting is more common.
• Turbine blades may be either forged or
cast, depending on the composition of
the alloys.
• Most blades are precision cast and
finish ground to the desired shape. Many
turbine blades are cast as a single
crystal, which gives the blades better
strength and heat properties.
• Heat barrier coating, such as ceramic
coating, and air flow cooling help keep
the turbine blades and inlet nozzles
cooler.
• This allows the exhaust temperature to
be raised, increasing the efficiency of the
engine.
• Figure shows a turbine blade with air
holes for cooling purposes.
• In turbine rotor construction, it occasionally becomes necessary to
utilize turbines of more than one stage. A single turbine wheel often
cannot absorb enough power from the exhaust gases to drive the
components dependent on the turbine for rotative power; thus, it is
necessary to add additional turbine stages.

• A turbine stage consists of a row of stationary vanes or nozzles,

followed by a row of rotating blades. In some models of turboprop
engine, as many as five turbine stages have been utilized successfully.

• It should be remembered that, regardless of the number of wheels

necessary for driving engine components, there is always a turbine
nozzle preceding each wheel.
• In the single-stage rotor turbine, the power is
developed by one turbine rotor, and all
engine-driven parts are driven by this single
wheel. This arrangement is used on engines
where the need for low weight and
compactness predominates. This is the
simplest version of the pure turbojet engine.

• In multiple spool engines, each spool has its

own set of turbine stages. Each set of turbine
stages turns the compressor attached to it.

• Most turbofan engines have two spools:

• low pressure (fan shaft a few stages of

compression and the turbine to drive it) and
high pressure (high pressure compressor shaft
and high pressure turbine)
• The turbine casing encloses the
turbine wheel and the nozzle
vane assembly, and at the same
time gives either direct or
indirect support to the stator
elements of the turbine section.
It always has flanges provided
front and rear for bolting the
assembly to the combustion
chamber housing and the
exhaust cone assembly,
respectively.
 Exhaust Section
• The exhaust section must direct the flow of hot gases
rearward in such a manner as to prevent turbulence and, at
the same time, impart a high final or exit velocity to the
gases.
• In performing the various functions, each of the components
affects the flow of gases in different ways.
• The exhaust section is located directly behind the turbine
section and ends when the gases are ejected at the rear in
the form of a high-velocity exhaust gases.
• The components of the exhaust section include the exhaust
cone, tailpipe (if required), and the exhaust nozzle.
• The exhaust cone collects the exhaust gases discharged from
the turbine section and gradually converts them into a
solid flow of gases. In performing this, the velocity of the
gases is decreased slightly and the pressure increased.
• This is due to the diverging passage between the outer duct
and the inner cone; that is, the annular area between the two
units increases rearward. The exhaust cone assembly consists
of an outer shell or duct, an inner cone, three or four radial
hollow struts or fins, and the necessary number of tie rods to
aid the struts in supporting the inner cone from the outer
duct.
• The outer shell or duct is usually made of stainless steel and is attached to
the rear flange of the turbine case. This element collects the exhaust gases
and delivers them directly to the exhaust nozzle.
• The duct must be constructed to include such features as a predetermined
number of thermocouple bosses for installing exhaust temperature
thermocouples, and there must also be insertion holes for the supporting
tie rods.
• In some cases, tie rods are not used for supporting the inner cone. If such is
the case, the hollow struts provide the sole support of the inner cone, the
struts being spot-welded in position to the inside surface of the duct and to
the inner cone, respectively.
• The radial struts actually have a two fold function. They not only support
the inner cone in the exhaust duct, but they also perform the important
function of straightening the swirling exhaust gases that would otherwise
leave the turbine at an angle of approximately 45°
• The centrally located inner cone fits rather closely
against the rear face of the turbine disk, preventing
turbulence of the gases as they leave the turbine
wheel. The cone is supported by the radial struts.
In some configurations, a small hole is located in
the exit tip of the cone.
• This hole allows cooling air to be circulated from
the aft end of the cone, where the pressure of the
gases is relatively high, into the interior of the cone
and consequently against the face of the turbine
wheel.
• The flow of air is positive, since the air pressure at
the turbine wheel is relatively low due to rotation
of the wheel; thus air circulation is assured.
• The gases used for cooling the turbine wheel
return to the main path of flow by passing through
the clearance between the turbine disk and the
inner cone.
• The exhaust cone assembly is the terminating
component of the basic engine. The remaining
component (the exhaust nozzle) is usually
considered an airframe component.
• The tailpipe is usually constructed so that it is semiflexible. On some
tailpipes, a bellows arrangement is incorporated in its construction,
allowing movement in installation, maintenance, and in thermal
expansion. This eliminates stress and warping which would otherwise
be present.

• The heat radiation from the exhaust cone and tailpipe could damage
the airframe components surrounding these units. For this reason,
some means of insulation had to be devised. There are several
suitable methods of protecting the fuselage structure; two of the
most common are insulation blankets and shrouds.
• The insulation blanket, illustrated in Figures consists of several layers of aluminum foil,
each separated by a layer of fiberglass or some other suitable material.

• Although these blankets protect the fuselage from heat radiation, they are used
primarily to reduce heat loss from the exhaust system. The reduction of heat loss
improves engine performance.

• There are two types of exhaust nozzle designs: the converging design for subsonic gas
velocities and the converging diverging design for supersonic gas velocities.

• The exhaust nozzle opening may be of either fixed or variable area. The fixed-area
type is the simpler of the two exhaust nozzles since there are no moving parts.

• The outlet area of the fixed exhaust nozzle is very critical to engine performance. If the
nozzle area is too large, thrust is wasted; if the area is too small, the engine could
choke or stall.

• A variable-area exhaust nozzle is used when an augmenter or afterburner is used due

to the increased mass of flow when the afterburner is activated. It must increase its
open area when the afterburner is selected. When the afterburner is off, the exhaust
nozzle closes to a smaller area of opening.

• In case of variable area jet nozzle, during maximum power rating the nozzle area is
minimum.