Thermodynamics of

Aircraft Jet Engines

Propulsive Power
Power
 Rate of doing work
 In propulsion power is of two types:
 Thrust Power (TP)
 Engine Power (EP)

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Thrust Power (TP)
 Also termed as Propulsive Power
 Thrust produced by the engine develops
TP in proportion to airspeed.
 It is rate of “useful work” done.
 Useful work is flying of aircraft.
 TP is product of thrust and aircraft speed
 TP = τ×ua
 So if aircraft is not flying, TP is zero!

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Engine Power (EP)
 Total power output of the engine.
 It comprises of:
 Rate of work done by engine on duct i.e. TP
 Rate of work done by engine on fluid i.e.
rate of increase of KE of flow stream
 Thus:
 Engine Power = TP + (fluid flow rate × ΔKE)

EP   ua  m a KE 
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TP and EP with Frame of
Reference
 Consider two Observer Y
observers:
 X – on ground
 Y – in the aircraft
Observer Free Aircraft Exhaust
Stream Velocity Velocity
Velocity
X Zero ua uj=ue-ua Observer X

Y ua Zero ue

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Analysis of Thrust Power (TP)
with Frame of Reference
 The two observers X and Y have
different perception of TP and EP!
 X sees aircraft flying with velocity ua
 Y observes aircraft stationary but air
approaching towards him with velocity ua.
 The Thrust Power:
 For X, TP = τ×ua since for him aircraft has
both thrust and speed.
 For Y, however, TP = 0, since for him aircraft
is stationary!
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Thrust (Simplified Version)
 We have general thrust equation as:
  m a (1  f )ue  ua  Pe  Pa Ae … (A)

 A simplified version of eq (A) is obtained by

introducing following assumptions:
 f << 1 such that (1+f ) ≈ 1
 Exhaust nozzle is fully expanded i.e. pressure thrust
is zero
 As such, eq (A) reduces to the following form
that is used in calculating TP and EP:

  m a ue  ua  … (B)

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Analysis of Thrust Power (TP)
with Frame of Reference
 Thus:

TP X    ua  m a ue  ua ua  m a u j ua

 and

TP Y    (aircraft velocity)  τ  0  0

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Analysis of Engine Power (EP)
with Frame of Reference
 Since EP X    ua 
2

m a 2
uj 0 
 ma 
EP X    
  ma ue  u a u a  
  2
u e  u a  0 
  2 
 u 2
u 2 
EP X m 2
 a ueu a  u a  e
 a
 ueu a 
 2 2 
 ue2 u a2 
EP X m
a  
 2
 2  

EP X 
a 2
m
2

ue  u a2  … (a)

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Analysis of Engine Power (EP)
with Frame of Reference
 Now
EP Y    ( 0) 
2

m a 2
ue  ua2 
EP Y 
m a 2
2

ue  ua2  … (b)

 Comparing eq (a) and (b) it is concluded

that:
 For the thrust when f and pressure
thrust (τpress)are ignored, the Engine
Power (EP) is same for both the
observers X and Y.
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Conclusions:
 For stationary aircraft, Thrust Power
(TP) is always ZERO.
 TP is always defined only for observer
X (on ground)
 TP for observer Y (in the aircraft) has
no meaning.

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Power and Fuel
 The power developed by the engine is:
 Either dissipated in overcoming the drag forces
 Or used to increase the energy of the aircraft.
 In development of thrust power fuel is
consumed.
 This consumption of fuel has corresponding
energy contents.

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Power and Fuel
 One kg of kerosene
has a calorific value of Input Fuel
Power = 60 MW
approximately 43 MJ.
 Consider the input
fuel power equal to 60 Gas Kinetic Heat Waste in
Energy= 15 MW Exhaust= 45 MW
MW.
 We noted that just
about (12 out of 60 MW)
20% of the fuel power Propulsive Exhaust KE
Power= 12 MW Waste= 3 MW
is converted into
useful output i.e.
propulsive power.
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