Aircraft Engines

Course syllabus
Principal concepts of aircraft propulsion and review of engine performance parameters.
Description of turboprop, turbojet, turbofan, and ramjet engines. Ideal and real
thermodynamic cycle analysis of engines. Thrust augmentation. Description of major
engine components. Flow through air intakes, and types of air intakes and their design
criterion. Centrifugal compressor – operation, effect of impeller geometry, and compressor
characteristic curve. Axial versus centrifugal compressors. Axial compressor – elemental
stage analysis, degree of reaction, radial equilibrium, cascade design, and off-design
performance analysis. Axial turbine – elemental stage analysis, performance curves, and
blade cooling. Compressor and turbine matching. Combustors – different types, combustion
process, estimation of pressure loss, and combustor subsystems. Flow through nozzle.
Emerging trends and recent developments in jet engines.

References
J.D. Mattingly, Elements of gas turbine propulsion
P. Hill, C. Peterson, Mechanics and thermodynamics of propulsion
H. Cohen, C.F.C. Rogers, H.I.H. Saravanamuttoo, Gas turbine theory
S.L. Dixon, Fluid mechanics and thermodynamics of turbomachinery

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Aircraft Engines
Aircraft jet engine

➢ Air inlet: captures air and delivers efficiently to the compressor

➢ Compressor: increases air pressure and temperature
➢ Combustor: increases temperature of incoming air by burning the mixture of air and fuel
(aviation kerosene). Fuel is supplied via an injection system.
➢ Turbine: extracts energy from the hot gas and runs the compressor
➢ Nozzle: accelerates the gases further

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Introduction
Pressure and temperature variation of air flowing through the engine

40
Pressure (atm)

0
Temperature (oc)

1500

0
Aircraft Engines (AE 242)
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Introduction
Basic principle of aircraft propulsion
➢ The fundamental principles of all aerospace propulsion are “Newton’s Law of Motion”.
➢ Newton’s second law
➢ Force acting on a body is proportional to the rate of change of momentum of that
body. This force acts in the direction of increasing momentum.
➢ Newton’s third law
➢ Action and reaction are equal and opposite.
➢ The basic principle is that a stream of air/gases is speeded up (work is done on the
stream of air/gases), and is ejected backwards (with higher velocity or momentum).
Hence a forward thrust is developed on the engine.
➢ The source of energy for the work done on the stream of air has to come from
somewhere. Fuels (substances that contain high chemical/thermal energy) are burned,
and from this, mechanical work is obtained. This is subject to laws of thermodynamics.

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Introduction
Propeller propulsion & Jet propulsion

Propeller propulsion Jet propulsion

• Propeller develops the thrust • Jet engines develop the thrust

• Propeller is driven by an engine placed • A compressor-combustor-turbine unit
inside the nose portion of the aircraft drives the engine
• Suitable for low speeds • Used for high subsonic and supersonic
speeds

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Introduction
Propeller propulsion

• Propeller sucks air at the front and eject back with a higher velocity.
• Force is acting on the air backwards.
• An equivalent reactive force acts on the propeller blades in the opposite
direction i.e. in the forward direction.

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science
 Introduction
Basic principle of aircraft propulsion

Aircraft Engines (AE 242)

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science