PRIFYSGOL ABERTAWE

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY
College of Engineering
SEMESTER 2 EXAMINATIONS
MAY/JUNE 2018

EG-397
PROPULSION
YEAR 3

University calculators permitted only

Translation dictionaries are not permitted, but an English dictionary may be borrowed from
the invigilator on request.

Time allowed: 2 hours

Answer THREE questions

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EXAMINATION IS PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES

TURN OVER

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Gas turbines
  

Uninstalled thrust: F  (m a  m f )Ve  m a V0  ( pe  p0 ) Ae



Thrust specific fuel

TSFC 
m f
consumption: T


Thermal efficiency: Wout

T  
Q in
 1   
Output work: W out  [( m a  m f )Ve2  m a V02 ]
2
 
Input heat: Q in  m f hPR

Propulsive efficiency: TV0

P  
W out
Overall efficiency:  0   PT

TG  m c
RD  mV   pM 2 A
Euler whirl equation e  u w

Power

Increase in stagnation enthalpy

Nozzles

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Rockets

Propellers
Thrust: T =L cosφ−D sin φ
V0
Dimensionless quantity: J=
nD
Thrust: T =ρ AV 2 1+ ( b2 ) b
Propulsive efficiency: TV
η p=
P
Thrust coefficients: T T CT
T c= 2 2 CT= T c=
ρV D ρn2 D4 J2

Brake power

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Piston engines
V
Volumetric compression ratio:
r  max
Vmin

Mean effective pressure:MEP  Wnet

Vmax  Vmin

Otto cycle thermal efficiency: 1

nOtto  1 
r  1

 1
Swept volume: V  V  1  
 r
 nV  p 
Charge-mass law: mc   pc  e 
2 RTc  r 

Indicated Power: IP  pei Vk

Brake Power: BP  peb lAnK

Brake Power: BP  i .IP

Internal efficiency: i   m cb


P  mc w
Power:
HV
Work: w
1  AFR
mc
Volumetric efficiency: v 
 a V
i
1
Thermal efficiency:  th  Otto  
 

AFR *
Equivalence ratio: 
AFR

Actual efficiency:  a  thi


mf
m 
bsfcconsumption:
Mass based brake specific fuel P

Thrust Power: TP   P BP

TURN OVER

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Thermodynamics

V2
Stagnation enthalpy: h0  h 
2
V2
Stagnation temperature: T0  T 
2C p
(  1) / 
 T2  p 
Constant entropy process:  T    2 
 1  s const  p1 
Work: W  C p T
dA
Converging or diverging nozzle:

A V 2
dp
1  M 2 
Speed of sound: ai  RTi

Mass flow rate: m  AV

Ramjets

Combustor Mach number: γ −1 2

θb =1+ Mb
2
 1
0  1  M 12
Temperature relationship:
2

Temperature relationship:

The International Standard Atmosphere: Sea Level

Conditions
Property Symbol Metric Value
Pressure p0 101325 Pa
Density ρ0 1.2256 kg/m3
Temperature T0 15oC, 288.15K
Speed of Sound a0 340.3 m/s
Gas constant for air Rair 287.26 J/kg/K
Specific Heat (air) Cp 1005 J/kg/K
Specific Heat (air) Cv 717.98J/kg/K
Ratio of specific heats γ 1.4
Gravitational g 9.80665m/s2

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 TURN
OVER
Question 1.

a) Describe the operation of a gas turbine engine.

[5 marks]

b) Draw and describe the Brayton cycle upon which gas turbine operation is based.
[6 marks]

c) Turbine entry temperatures provide a limiting consideration for the gas turbine
engine. Describe the technologies and materials that now allow for operation in gas
streams of over 1800K.
[6 marks]

d) Describe the criteria for a fan blade material in the gas turbine engine
[5 marks]

e) What benefits are offered by a composite fan blade as opposed to more traditional
titanium fan blades?
[3 marks]

(TOTAL 25 MARKS)
Question 2.

a) Using the Rankine-Froude actuator disk model derive an expression for the thrust, T,
produced by a propeller in terms of the air density, , cross sectional area of the disk,
A, forward speed, V and slipstream factor, b.
[10 marks]

b) For a 1.9m diameter propeller operating in straight and level unaccelerated flight in
sea level standard air at 90 m/s with values of CT = 0.2 and J = 1.1, find, using

(i)
8
π √
b=2 a=−1± 1+ T c
Slipstream velocity,
(ii) Rotational speed, n
(iii) Thrust
(iv) Thrust power (=TV), and
(v) Pressure rise, Δp
[5 marks]

c) What will be the percentage contraction of the streamtube area at the disk and within
the fully developed slipstream
[3 marks]

d) Calculate the Froude efficiency.

[2 marks]

e) Calculate and describe the additional power losses if the propulsive efficiency is
85%?
[5 marks]
Page 6 of 8
 (TOTAL 25 MARKS)

TURN
Question 3. OVER

a) What is the difference between static and stagnation enthalpy?

[2 marks]

b) Describe, for high speed aircraft, how a limiting cycle temperature leads to the
requirement for supersonic combustion as flight speeds increase.
[7 marks]

c) For a scramjet designed for combustion Mach number Mb=2 and overall limiting
cycle temperature Θ= T3/T1=8 determine the flight speed, M1, temperature ratio T2/T1
and pressure ratio, Pr for maximum speed (occurs when θ0 = Θ0).
[6 marks]

d) The above diagram shows the principal zones of a ramjet. Starting with the heat
balance equation
¿ ¿
ma (1+f )(h03−h¿ 02 )=mf HV η b
where f is FAR, the ¿fuel air ratio, m a is the air mass flow rate, h0i is the stagnation
enthalpy at point i, m f is the fuel mass flow rate, HV is the heating value of the fuel
and ηb is the combustion efficiency. Derive an expression for f ’ = f/(1+f) in terms of
Cpb (specific heat at constant pressure p, in the burner),HV, ηb and ΔT0 (=T03-T02)
where T0i is the stagnation temperature at point i.
[6 marks]

e) ΔT0 will also be equal to T03-T01 in this ramjet. Derive an expression for ΔT0 in terms
of the inlet temperature T1 and coefficients Θ0 (=T03/T1) and θ0 (=T01//T1).

[2 marks]

C pb T 1
f) Use this expression to show that f ’ = f1(Θ0 - θ0) where f 1=
HV ηb
[2 marks]

(TOTAL 25 MARKS)

Page 7 of 8
Question 4.

a) Describe the operation of both two stroke and four stroke piston engines.

[8 marks]

b) What methods have traditionally been applied to increase piston engine output, and
what are the associated problems?
[6 marks]

c) Derive the charge-mass law for piston engines, stating clearly any assumptions made.

[8 marks]

d) A six-cylinder air-cooled normally aspirated four-stroke aircraft piston engine has a

cylinder bore, d, of 140 mm and a piston stroke, l, of 100 mm. The volumetric
compression ratio, r, is 7. The engine is flying at sea level and operating at 2400 rpm.
Assume Rproducts=0.99Rair, where Rair =0.287 kJkg-1K-1.
Using Hookers charge-mass law

( p
)
¿
nV
mc = p c− e
2 RT c r

Find the charge-mass flow rate, assuming that:

(i) Pressures pe=pc=1atm abs. and no preheat, Tc = 20°C

(ii) Pressures pe=pc=1atm abs. and the additional preheat for Tc is 40°C
(iii) Charge pressure pc = 0.9, exhaust pressure pe=1 atm abs. and preheat of
Tc = 50°C
[3 marks]

(TOTAL 25 MARKS)

END OF
PAPER

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