The Turbofan Engine burner,

 (5)  the  exhaust  passing  

through  rear  turbines,  and  (6)  the  
exhaust  exiting  through  the  nozzle  
and  combining  with  bypassed  air  to  
generate  thrust.  
 
 
Main Stages of the Turbofan
Working Process
 
Introduction Stage 1: The Inlet

The  initial  stage  of  the  propulsion  

The  turbofan  engine  is  a  type  of   process  of  the  turbofan  engine  is  the  
turbine  propulsion  system  (jet  engine)   intake  of  air  from  the  surrounding  
that  is  used  by  most  modern  airliners.   atmosphere  by  the  inlet.  The  inlet  is  
While  the  turbofan  shares  some  of  the   typically  a  smooth,  rounded  opening  
same  parts  of  the  basic  gas  turbine   at  the  front  of  the  engine  that  captures  
engine  (an  internal  combustion  engine   air  as  the  aircraft  accelerates.  
that  uses  air  as  its  working  fluid),    
additional  machinery  developed  for  
Stage 2: The Front Fan
the  turbofan  results  in  an  engine  with  
higher  thrust  and  better  fuel  efficiency  
The  air  brought  in  through  the  inlet  
than  that  of  its  predecessors.  This  
then  passes  through  the  front  fan.  This  
description  of  the  turbofan  will  
fan  propels  the  air  downstream  
explain  how  the  engine  works,  its  
toward  the  core  engine  shaft.  Some  of  
parts,  and  what  makes  it  such  a  
the  air  enters  the  shaft  and  proceeds  
popular  propulsion  system  for  both  
to  the  compressor,  while  the  rest  goes  
commercial  and  military  aircraft.  
around  the  shaft  and  exits  through  the  
 
back  of  the  engine.  This  creates  the  
The  basic  turbine  engine  is  composed  
bypass  ratio,  which  will  be  discussed  
of  five  main  parts:  the  inlet,  the  
further  in  Stage  6.    
compressor,  the  burner,  the  turbine,  
 
and  the  nozzle.    What  makes  the  
Stage 3: The Compressor
turbofan  unique  from  other  turbine  
engines  are  the  front  fan  and  
The  air  that  enters  into  the  core  
additional  rear  turbine  that  surround  
engine  shaft  now  travels  through  the  
the  core  engine.  
  compressor,  which  increases  the  air  
pressure  before  it  enters  the  burner.  
The  six  main  stages  of  the  turbofan’s  
The  turbofan  employs  an  axial  
propulsion  process  are  (1)  the  inlet  
capturing  the  air,  (2)  the  front  fan   compressor,  which  consists  of  airfoils  
(structures  with  curved  surfaces  
passing  the  air  into  and  around  the  
core  engine,  (3)  the  compression  of   designed  to  give  the  most  favorable  
ratio  of  lift  to  drag  in  flight)  that  rotate  
the  air,  (4)  the  combustion  in  the  
around  the  engine  shaft  at  high  rates  
of  speed.  These  airfoils  are  placed  in   that  bypasses  the  core  engine  shaft  in  
several  rows,  with  each  row  gradually   Stage  2.  This  air  passes  around  the  
increasing  the  pressure  of  the  air  as  it   engine’s  core  with  great  velocity,  and  
passes  through.  The  highly   along  with  the  exhaust  exiting  the  
pressurized  air  then  enters  into  the   nozzle,  creates  even  more  thrust.  The  
burner  for  combustion  to  occur.   ratio  of  the  amount  of  air  that  
  bypasses  the  engine’s  core  and  the  
Stage 4: The Burner amount  that  passes  through  is  known  
as  the  bypass  ratio.  The  higher  this  
The  burner,  or  combustor,  is  a   ratio,  the  more  fuel-­‐efficient  the  
circular,  perforated  device  in  which   aircraft.  
the  pressurized  air  from  the    
compressor  is  mixed  with  jet  fuel  and    
burned.  The  result  of  the  combustion  
process  is  the  production  of  hot  
exhaust,  which  is  used  to  power  the  
rear  turbines.   Diagram of the Turbofan Engine
   
Stage 5: The Rear Turbines  
Rear  Turbines  
The  hot  exhaust  escapes  the  burner   Burner  
and  then  enters  through  the  first  
turbine.  This  turbine  uses  the  energy  
produced  by  the  combustion  process  
to  power  the  compressor  upstream.  
Turbofans,  unlike  basic  gas  turbine  
engines,  utilize  a  two-­‐spool  turbine  set  
up,  in  which  an  additional  turbine  is  
situated  behind  the  first.  This  turbine  
also  uses  the  hot  exhaust,  but  rather  
than powering  the  compressor,  this  
rear  turbine  powers  the  front  fan.  The  
remaining  exhaust  then  passes    
through  the  nozzle.  
 
Stage 6: The Nozzle and Bypassed
Air Inlet   Front  Fan   Compressor  
 
The  nozzle  is  a  small  opening  located  
at  the  rear  of  the  turbofan  through    
which  the  hot  exhaust  rapidly  escapes   Nozzle  
the  engine.  This  process  generates  
thrust.  What  separates  the  turbofan  
from  other  turbine  engines  is  the  
additional  thrust  generated  by  the  air