How a Gas Turbofan Engine Makes A Plane Fly

For the last century, humans have taken to the skies. The development of the gas turbofan engine
has allowed more people than ever to be transported across the globe at speeds of over 500 miles
per hour. Turbofans are gas powered engines that are used to power large commercial airplanes.
But, how is it that these engines creates enough power to lift hundreds of people in a giant metal
tube thousands of feet into the air? These engines create a force called thrust that pushes the
airplane through the atmosphere at high speeds. The wings of the airplane are oriented so that air
rushes underneath the bottom face of the wing generating another force known as lift. This force
brings the plane into the air, allowing the giant machine to soar. Turbofan engines are the key
mechanical component of airplanes, and they are made with many parts. The most important
parts of these engines are: the fan, the high and low pressure compressors, the high and low
pressure turbines, the diffuser, the combustor, and the exhaust nozzle.

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Figure 1: The Gas Turbofan Engine

The Fan
1 Image from http://aviation.stackexchange.com/
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The first stage of the engine consists of a very large fan which vacuums air from the atmosphere
into the engine. The air then splits into two separate streams. 85% of the air is accelerated by the
fan and enters the bypass chamber. The bypass chamber stretches the entire length of the engine,
and its cross-sectional area decreases along the length of the engine, acting as a large nozzle.
This large volume of air speeds up through the narrowing chamber and is released out of the
back of the engine, accounting for about 80% of the thrust of the engine. The remaining 15% of
the air enters the core of the engine, where it is passed along to the low pressure compressor.
The Low Pressure Compressor
The low pressure compressor is made up of rows of rotating blades called rotors separated by
rows of stationary blades known as stators. These blades force the low pressure air from the fan
through the compressor which increases the airs pressure and temperature before it enters the
high pressure compressor.
The High Pressure Compressor
The high pressure compressor takes the high pressure air from the low pressure compressor and
compresses the air further and raises its temperature. The high pressure compressor is also made
up of rows of rotors and stators to accomplish this goal. The combination of the two compressors
increases the pressure of the air by a factor of about thirty-five and raises the temperature of the
air by approximately 1000 degrees Fahrenheit before this air enters the diffuser.
The Diffuser
Due to the acceleration of the air through the rotors and the air being forced into a smaller area,
the air is now moving at extremely high speeds. These speeds are too high for the air to be
successfully used in the rest of the engine, so the diffuser is used to slow the air down while
maintaining optimum pressure and temperature. The diffuser is shaped like a cone to expand the
area that the air is flowing through, which drastically reduces its speed. Now, the air is at a much
more manageable speed for the combustor to utilize.
The Combustor
The combustor is lined with multiple fuel injectors. As the air passes through the combustion
chamber, it is mixed with the injected fuel that is then ignited. The fuel burning greatly increases
the energy of the mixture. This burning is also responsible for further raising the temperature of
the air by about 1600 degrees Fahrenheit in some engines. When the pressure of the air
compressed by the two compressor stages is increased, more energy can be added to the flow
which will eventually lead to more thrust. The superheated and compressed air is then passed
along to the high pressure turbine.
The High Pressure Turbine

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High energy air enters the high pressure turbine which is made up of rows of rotors and stators
similar to the compressors. Turbines can be thought of as compressors in reverse, as they are
made up of the same components, but the turbine increases in cross-sectional area, as opposed to
the compressor which decreases as seen in Figure 1. In the turbine, the air turns the rotor blades,
which, in turn, turns the high pressure shaft they are attached to. This shaft also connects to the
high pressure compressor. The sole job of the high pressure turbine is to turn the high pressure
compressor blades via the long shaft connecting the two stages. These components make up what
is known as the high spool. The air pressure lowers as it turns the turbine blades before it enters
the low pressure turbine.
The Low Pressure Turbine
The low pressure turbines rotors are turned the by the air similar to the high pressure turbine.
The rotations of the rotors of this turbine turn a second shaft called the low pressure shaft that is
located inside of the high pressure shaft. The low pressure turbines primary job is to turn this
shaft as the rotation of this shaft turns both the low pressure compressor and, more importantly,
the fan at the beginning of the engine. These three components: the fan, low pressure
compressor, and the low pressure turbine, make up the low spool, which delivers air to the
exhaust nozzle.
The Exhaust Nozzle
The air has finally reached the final stage of the engine. The air enters from the turbines and is
forced through a large cone which accelerates the air out of the back of the engine known as the
exhaust nozzle. This high speed air being forced out of the engine accounts for 20% of the total
thrust created by the engine.
The Process
The gas turbofan engine propels an airplane forward by first taking in air through a large fan. At
this point, the air splits into two separate streams: bypass air, which is accelerated by the fan
around the core of the engine and forced out of the back of the engine creating thrust; and core
air, which is passed into the low pressure compressor. The air passes through stages of rotors and
stators, increasing its pressure and temperature. The air then passes through the high pressure
compressor where its pressure and temperature are raised even further. The air is now moving
too fast to be properly utilized, so it passes through a diffuser to slow the air while maintaining
its optimal pressure and temperature. Next, fuel is injected into the stream of air in the
combustor, which is then ignited. This burning further raises the temperature of air and adds
energy to the flow as it enters the high pressure turbine. The superheated and compressed air
drives the blades of the rotors in the high pressure turbine, which drives the blades of the high
pressure compressor via the high pressure shaft. The air then drives the low pressure turbine
which, via the low pressure shaft, drives the low pressure compressor and the fan at the front of
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the turbine. The air is then forced through the exhaust nozzle, generating thrust. This force drives
the airplane forward allowing it to fly.

Works Cited
NetGrook. "How Jet Engines Work (turbofan Animation)." YouTube. YouTube, 11 June 2013.
Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

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