Propulsion Systems

Propulsion System
A machine that produces thrust to push an object forward

The amount of thrust depends on the mass flow through the engine and the exit velocity of the gas

Airplane Propulsion Systems

Propeller

Turbine (jet) engine

Ramjet or Scramjet

Roc et Planes

!hy Are There "ifferent Types of #ngines$

%ewton&s 'st (aw
Objects in motion tend to stay in motion and objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless something pushes or pulls on the object. Therefore) '* Thrust from the propulsion system must balance the drag when the airplane is cruising* +* Thrust from the propulsion system must exceed the drag for the airplane to accelerate*

Aircraft ,otion

Propulsion System
Piston #ngines and Propellers

-sed most commonly on smaller aircraft . They generally fly slower/ and at lower altitudes

Propulsion System
Piston #ngines and Propellers

Airliners and 0argo Planes

Spend most of the time in a cruise state 1igh engine efficiency and low fuel usage more important than excess thrust Turboprop and turbofan propulsion used on airliners and cargo planes

Propulsion Systems
2et propulsion is similar to the release of an inflated balloon*

Propulsion Systems
Turbojet
3irst really useful jet engine built

Propulsion Systems
Turbofan
Adds a large set of fan blades at the front of the inlet

Turboprop
The fan from turbofan is replaced with a propeller

3ighter Planes and 1ypersonic Aircraft

Re4uire high excess thrust to accelerate 4uic ly and overcome high drag associated with high speeds 1igh thrust is more important than engine efficiency

Roc et Powered Airplanes

-ses a roc et engine for propulsion 1as higher speeds Propels only for a short period of time -nusual launch configurations
3rom another plane 5ertically 6 nose in the air and tail to the ground

Roc et Propulsion
#ngine pushes itself forward or upward by producing thrust A roc et engine uses only propellant carried within it A roc et can operate in outer space/ where there is almost no air

7 6 + 6 ' (iftoff8

1ow "o Roc et #ngines !or $

%ewton&s 7rd (aw) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
'* Roc et engines generate thrust by putting a gas under pressure* +* The gas escaping the roc et is called exhaust* 7* As the roc et pushes the exhaust bac ward/ the exhaust pushes the roc et forward*

Roc et Propellant
Solid93uel Roc ets
:urn a solid material called the grain #ngineers design grains with a hollow core Propellant burns from the core outward -nburned propellant shields the engine casing from the heat of combustion

Roc et Propellant
Solid93uel Roc ets
1ollow 0ore

Solid 3uel

Roc et Propellant
(i4uid93uel Roc et
0arries fuel and oxidi;er in separate tan s 3uel circulates through cooling jac et before entering combustion chamber 0irculation preheats the fuel for combustion and helps cool the roc et

Roc et Propellant
<on (#lectric)
0oils are heated to change a fuel/ such as xenon/ into a vapor 1ot platinum or tungsten ioni;ation grid changes the flowing vapor into a stream of electrically charged particles called ions

Roc et Propellant
%uclear
-ses heat from a nuclear reactor to change a li4uid fuel into a gas Some of the fuel/ heated by the no;;le of the roc et/ flows through the turbine Turbine drives the fuel pump

!hat&s %ext$
=ur own experiments on jet propulsion8

<mage Resources
,icrosoft/ <nc* (+>>?)* Clip art* Retrieved September '>/ +>>?/ from http)@@office*microsoft*com@en9us@clipart@default*aspx %ational Aeronautics and Space Administration (%ASA)* (+>>?)* Beginners guide to propulsion* Retrieved 2une +7/ +>>A/ from http)@@www*grc*nasa*gov@!!!@B9'+@airplane@bgp*html %ational Aeronautics and Space Administration (%ASA)* (+>>?)* NASA ! !ideo "allery* Retrieved 2une +7/ +>>A/ from http)@@www*nasa*gov@multimedia@videogallery@index*html %ational Aeronautics and Space Administration (%ASA)* (+>>?)* NASA # A closer loo$ at the %&'( mission* Retrieved 2une +7/ +>>A/ from http)@@www*nasa*gov@missions@research@xC79image9feature*html %ational Aeronautics and Space Administration (%ASA)* (+>>D)* NASA # )oc$et* Retrieved 2une +7/ +>>A/ from http)@@www*nasa*gov@worldboo @roc etEworldboo *html