Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Engineering College

(Approved by AICTE, New Delhi & Affiliated to Anna University, Chennai)

(Accredited with ‘A’ Grade by NAAC & Accredited by NBA)
Perambalur – 621 212
Department of Aeronautical & Aerospace Engineering
AE 8301 | Aero Engineering Thermodynamics
Important 2 Marks

Unit – V Basics of Propulsion and Heat Transfer

1. What is specific impulse? How is it calculated? (R13, Apr/May 2015)

(or)
What is specific impulse? Also state its significance. (R13, Apr/May 2017)
The thrust per unit mass flow rate of air is called as specific impulse, Isp.
𝑇 𝑚̇𝑎 (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 )
𝐼𝑠𝑝 = = = (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 )
𝑚̇𝑎 𝑚̇𝑎
The thrust is directly proportional to the specific impulse.

2. How will you classify propulsive engine? (R13, Nov/Dec 2016)

(or)
What are air breathing and non-air breathing engines? Give examples.
There are two general types of propulsion namely, air-breathing and non-air-
breathing engines.
Air-breathing engines use oxygen from the atmosphere in the combustion of
fuel. They include the turbojet, turboprop, ramjet, and pulse-jet.
Non-air-breathing engines carry an oxygen supply. They can be used both in
the atmosphere and in outer space. They are commonly called rockets and are of two
kinds liquid-propellant and solid-propellant.

3. Define and give mathematical expressions for thrust power. (R08, Apr/May 2017)
The product of thrust and inlet velocity of air is called thrust power.
𝑃𝑇 = 𝑇 × 𝑣𝑖 = 𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 ) × 𝑣𝑖

4. Define propulsive power and propulsive efficiency.

Propulsive power
It is given by the net increase in the energy of the working fluid between inlet
and exit.
1
𝑃𝑃 = 𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒2 − 𝑣𝑖2 )
2
Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur – 621 212. AUC R2017
Propulsive efficiency
It is the ratio of the thrust power to the propulsive power.
𝑃𝑇 𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 ) × 𝑣𝑖 2𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 ) × 𝑣𝑖 2𝑣𝑖
𝜂𝑃 = = = =
𝑃𝑃 1 2 2 𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒 + 𝑣𝑖 )(𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 ) (𝑣𝑒 + 𝑣𝑖 )
2 𝑚̇𝑖 (𝑣𝑒 − 𝑣𝑖 )

5. What are Nozzles and Diffusers? (R08, Nov/Dec 2016)

A nozzle is a device which A diffuser is a device which

accelerates fluid. During this process, slows down fluid. That means, velocity
velocity of fluid increases with of fluid decreases with increasing
decreasing pressure. pressure.

6. Define Mach number and state the condition for subsonic flow. (R08, Nov/Dec
2016)
The ratio of the velocity of a body to the speed of sound in the surrounding
medium.
𝑣
𝑀=
𝑎
If the Mach number is < 1, the flow speed is lower than the speed of sound - and
the speed is subsonic.

7. What do you understand by chocking in nozzle flows?

Choked flow is a phenomenon
that limits the mass flow rate of a
compressible fluid flowing through
nozzles, orifices and sudden
expansions where M=1.

The establishment of choked

flow can be identified as the point at
which the ratio of the minimum fluid
pressure to inlet pressure (Pmin/P1)
falls below the critical pressure ratio
in the fluid.

Gurunath Kaliyaperumal – AE 8301 Aero Engineering Thermodynamics | 2

Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur – 621 212. AUC R2017
8. Define critical pressure ratio and super saturated flow with reference to flow
through a steam nozzle.
Critical Pressure Ratio (CPR):
There is only one value of the ratio P2/P1, which produces maximum discharge
from the nozzle.
Saturated Flow through Nozzle:
When dry saturated steam is expanded adiabatically, or isentropically, it
becomes wet and is shown by a vertical line on Mollier diagram.

9. Mention the modes of heat transfer.

There are three modes of heat transfer namely conduction, convection and
radiation.
Conduction: Conduction refers to the heat transfer that occurs across the medium.
Medium can be solid or a fluid.
Convection: Convection refers to the heat transfer that will occur between a surface
and a moving fluid when they are at different temperatures.
Radiation: In radiation, in the absence of intervening medium, there is net heat transfer
between two surfaces at different temperatures in the form of electromagnetic waves.

10. State the Fourier’s law of conduction.

The rate of loss of heat by a body is directly proportional to the temperature
gradient.
𝑑𝑄 𝐴(𝑇𝑡 − 𝑇𝑠 )
∝
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑥
Where
Tt is the temperature at time t.
Ts is the temperature of the surrounding.

11. Define thermal conductivity.

Thermal conductivity is the ability of any material to be heated or to be cooled
or capacity to pass heat.

12. What are the factors affecting the thermal conductivity? (R13, Nov/Dec 2016)
 Free electrons  Pressure
 Purity of material  Density
 Effect of forming  Crystalline structure
 High temperature

13. State the Newton’s law of cooling.

The rate of loss of heat by a body is directly proportional to the temperature
difference between system and surroundings, provided the difference is small.

Gurunath Kaliyaperumal – AE 8301 Aero Engineering Thermodynamics | 3

Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Engineering College, Perambalur – 621 212. AUC R2017

𝑑𝑄
∝ 𝐴(𝑇𝑡 − 𝑇𝑠 )
𝑑𝑡
Where
Tt is the temperature at time t.
Ts is the temperature of the surrounding.

14. Mention some applications of radiation heat transfer. (R13, Apr/May 2017)
 Clothes  Room (electric) heaters
 Radiators  Cooking utensils

15. What is thermal radiation? How does it differ from electromagnetic radiation?
(R13, Apr/May 2015)
Thermal radiation is generated by the thermal motion of particles in matter.
Particle motion results in charge-acceleration or dipole oscillation which produces
electromagnetic radiation.

Gurunath Kaliyaperumal – AE 8301 Aero Engineering Thermodynamics | 4