Jet Propulsion and Compressor Design

NASA's X-43A

Keith Larson
IC Engines and Propulsions Systems
Spring 2005
Professor

Dr. Chiang Shih

Fluid Machinery
Positive Displacement
Working fluid is confined
within a boundary.
Energy transfer is by volume
changes due to the
movement of the
boundary.

Dynamic
Working fluid is not confine
within a boundary.
Energy transfer is by dynamic
effects of the rotor on
the fluid stream.

Dynamic Machine
A.K.A. Turbomachines
* Radial-Flow - Also called Centrifugal.
- Radial flow path.
- Large change in radius
from inlet to outlet.
* Axial-Flow - Flow path nearly parallel
to the axis of rotation.
- Radius of the flow path
does not very significantly.
* Mixed-Flow - Flow path radius changes
only moderately.

Turbomachines that extract energy from the fluid stream

Turbines
Turbines use Vanes, Blades, or Buckets attached to the
turbine shaft.
This assembly is called the Rotor, Wheel, or Runner.
Bourn, Cambridgeshire, England

Colvin Run Mill

near Dranesville,
Virginia

Turbine Classifications
* Hydraulic Turbines - The working fluid is WATER.
- Flow is incompressible.
* Gas and Steam Turbines - Density of the working fluid
may change significantly.
Further Classification
Impulse Turbines - Driven by one or more high-speed free jets.
- Each jet is accelerated in an external nozzle.
- Fluid acceleration and pressure drop is
external to the blades.
Reaction Turbines - Part of the pressure change takes place
externally and part takes place within
the moving blades.

The turbine extracts

energy from the fluid
stream and converts it
into mechanical energy,
which is then transmitted
through a shaft to some
load.

The Steam Turbine Generator

Satsop Development Park

Or the load could be a compressor

within a Turbocharger for an
automobile, or a compressor in a jet
engine.

Turbomachines that add energy to the fluid stream

Pump - when the fluid is a liquid or a slurry.
Very small to very large pressure rise.
Rotating element is called an impeller.
Fans, Blowers, or Compressors when handling a gas or a vapor.
Fans - generally have a small pressure rise (< 1 inch water)
Blowers - moderate pressure rise (1 inch of mercury)
Compressors - very high pressure rise (up to 150,000 psi)

Jet Propulsion Principle (Thrust)

Pa
T

Po

Pa

T: Thrust
Po

Pa: Ambient Pressure

ue

Steady-Flow
T

T=Ai(po-pa)

Po

Pa

Pa

Ai

Po: Internal Pressure

ue: Exit Velocity

T=mua

Po

ua
ua: Mass-average Exhaust Velocity

Thrust per Unit Energy Consumption (Rocket vs. Propeller)

Engine

ue

Acceleration of a stream of air through a Propeller

Propeller Thrust Ratio

T=ma(ue-u)

2 e

T ue u
E

.
.

ma uc
ua

2
e 2

Assume a best thermal

efficiency of 40%, the
maximum possible value of
propeller thrust ratio becomes.

2
T 5u

.
E

Rocket
2

u
Tm
p er

mp
E

u er
2

T uer2
E

Rocket
Thrust Ratio

Estimate ratio of propeller and rocket

thrusts
u er
1000
Assume
that
the
Tpropeller 5u
Tpropeller
u

rocket exhaust
Trocket
Trocket
velocity is 5000m/s.

Summary of Propeller and Rocket Thrust

For Aircraft propulsion the big advantage of using a propeller is

that less fuel must be carried on board.

The rate of airflow through the propeller can be as much as
three orders of magnitude larger than the rate of fuel
consumption of the driving engine.

Propulsion using a propeller has much better efficiency when

compared to propulsion with a rocket.
The aircraft using a propeller can travel much greater
distances before having to refuel.

Propeller Theory
Air Velocity (u)
Axis of
Rotation

Air Motion

Blade Speed (Ut)

w1t

u Relative Approach
Velocity (w1t)

Ut

Relative Leaving
Velocity (w2t)

Blade Motion

Swirling Velocity (u)

w2t
w1t c2
Ut

ue

Axial Component of
Leaving Velocity (ue)
Leaving Velocity (c2)
Turning Angle ()

Limitation of the Propeller in Propulsion

In order to maintain good flow over the blade certain
conditions must be meet.
1. The relative approach angle and the blade leading
edge angle must be close to prevent flow
separation from the blade.
2. The turning angle must be keep quite small, or the
flow will also separate from the blade.
3. The relative approach velocity must not be too
close to the speed of sound. This is to prevent
shock waves from forming on the blade.
Thus conventional propellers are used for flight speeds well below
the speed of sound; usually at or below 135 m/s (300 mph).

Axis

Air
Motion w1t
Ut

Blade
Motion

Blade speed too high

u

Flight speed too slow

Operating outside of design
parameters

Axis

Poor design: Turning angle

is too large

Air
Motion

w1t
u
Ut

Blade
Motion

The Importance of the Compressor/Turbine in Modern Flight

It was not until 1939 that a compressor, combuster, and turbine
were coupled together to create the first turbo engine for aircraft
propulsion.

Air Inlet

Exhaust
Gas Out

1. The turbine engine made supersonic flight possible in aircraft

2. Reduced the cost of air travel.
3. Lead to great improvements in aircraft safety.

Turboprop

Allison T56 Turboshaft

Turbofan

General Electric CF6 Turbofan

Turbojet

General Electric J79 Turbojet with Afterburner

Turbo Engine Comparison

Turboprop

Turbofan

Turbojet

Medium-speed

Internal Propeller

High speed

Moderate-size craft

Supersonic speeds

Mach 4

High efficiency

High bypass airflow

Low airflow rate

Limited flight speed

Med/High efficiency

Low efficiency

Geared transmission

No gearbox

High op temps

NOTE: Due to the ram compression due to flight speed, the optimum
compressor pressure ratio (CPR) goes to zero around Mach 4.
CPR 30:1 for subsonic flight.
CPR 10:1 @ Mach 2.
Compressor not needed at Mach 4; Ramjet.

Comparison of the Axial-Flow and Radial-Flow Compressors

Axial-Flow compressors do not significantly change the direction of
the flow stream, thus Axial-Flow Compressor allows for multiple
stages. Radial-Flow Compressors can not be staged.
While the Radial-Flow Compressor has a larger Compressor
Pressure Ratio (CPR) per stage, the multi-stages of the Axial-Flow
compressor allows for a larger overall CPR.
The frontal area for a given air flow rate is smaller for an AxialFlow Compressor than for a Radial-Flow Compressor.
The Axial-Flow Compressor has a higher efficiency.
Disadvantages are the higher cost to manufacture the Axial-Flow
Compressor, and the Radial-flow Compressor is more durable than
the Axial-Flow Compressor.

Example Problem
Given a first single stage of an Axial Compressor with the following
conditions: ambient pressure (Pin) 1 atmosphere, ambient
temperature (Tin) 300K, aircraft cruising speed (Vin) 170m/s, median
blade diameter (D) 0.5m, rotor rpm (Urotor) 8000rpm, turning angle
() 15 degrees, specific heat ratio () 1.4, air mass flow rate (mdot)
35kg/s, and (Cp) conversion factor 1004 m2/s2*K, calculate the first
stage Compressor Pressure Ratio (CPR).
Pin 1atm

Tin 300K

Vin 170

m
s

D .5m
2

Urotor

8000rpm

kg 1000gm

15deg
mdot 35

kg
s

1.4

Cp 1004

m
2

s K

Step 1.
Vin

W1

U
Blade motion

Create the velocity triangle

and calculate the relative
speed of the rotor blade from
the rotational velocity.
D 2
U
8000
2 60 s

r
U 209.44

W x U

m
s

W x 209.44

m
s

Vin

Step 2.

W1

Calculate the air to blade

relative velocity and the
angle between the relative
and actual air speed.

W 1 W x

W 1 269.75

2
Vin

atan

Wx

V in

m
s

50.934 deg

Step 3.

W2

Vin

U w2

2 1

2 35.934 deg

Axial velocity (Vin) does not change.

Calculate relative exit angle(2), then
portion of the relative blade speed
(Uw2). Calculate relative air speed (W2)

U w2 V in tan 2
U w2 123.214

m
s

W 2

V in

cos 2

209.956

m
s

Step 4.
V2

W2

Vin
U v2

U w2

Calculate the portion of the relative

blade speed associated with the actual
air velocity (Uv2), the calculate the
actual air speed (V2).

Uv2 W x Uw2
V2

2
Vin

Uv2

Uv2 86.226
2

V2 190.617

m
s

m
s

The Compressor Pressure

Ratio (CPR) is found from
the isentropic relationship.

P o2

T o2

P o1

T o1

To1 is calculated from the following equation.

To2 has to be calculated from the specific work
of the compressor stage.
To1 Tin

Vin

2 Cp

To1 314.392 K

Specific work of the stage is

calculated from the torque of the
shaft, angular velocity of the blade,
and mass flow rate of the air.

Torque of the shaft is:

Uv1

m
s

No initial tangential component

to the inlet velocity.

Power of the shaft is:

wstage

Tshaft
mdot

Tshaft mdot Uv1 Uv2

2

Tshaft 754.476 J
2

Power Tshaft
8000
60 s

Power 632.068 kW

Specific work of
the stage is then:

wstage

Power
mdot

wstage 1.806 10

J
kg

Now To2 can be calculated from the specific work

To1, and the conversion factor.
To2 To1

wstage

CPR

To2

Cp

To2 332.38 K

Finally, the Compressor Pressure Ratio can be

calculated!!!

To2 To1

wstage

CPR

To2

Cp

The answer
To1 is:

CPR 1.215

The engines on the blackbird

are turbojets and are used as
such up to about Mach 4; when
the air flow is bypassed around
the compressor and the engines
become ramjets.
Lockhead SR-71 Blackbird

NASA X-43A

This is where we are today. The X-43A is an

experimental aircraft that uses a scramjet (supersonic
ramjet) for its propulsion. The X-43A has reach speeds
of about Mach 10.