Diploma in Aerospace Engineering / Diploma in Mechatronics

Gas Turbine Engine (EAE 3008)

RQ1
Short Answer Question

1. A turbojet engine having a converging-diverging exhaust nozzle operating at third critical point has the
following characteristics:

• Exhaust nozzle inlet diameter 0.65 m

• Exhaust nozzle inlet velocity is at 240 m/s
• Exhaust nozzle inlet temperature is 550 °C
• Exhaust nozzle inlet pressure is 2.8 bar
• Exhaust nozzle exit temperature is 770 °C
• Exhaust nozzle exit velocity is at Mach 2.5

Figure 1

Given that the ambient pressure is 0.35 bar and ambient temperature is -55 °C, determine

a. the pressure of the gas at the exhaust nozzle,

b. the velocity of the exiting gas,
c. the density of the exiting gas flow using ideal gas equation, and
d. the diameter of the exit section.

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a) Exit pressure = Ambient pressure (3rd critical point)
Pe = 0.35 X 105 = 35,000 N/m2

b) Sonic velocity C = χRT = 1.4 × 287 × (770 + 273) = 647.362m / s

∴Ve = Mc = 2.5 × 647.362
= 1618.405m / s

Pe
c) Using ideal gas equation, ρe = ( )
RTe
35,000
ρe =
287(273 + 770)

ρ e = 0.1169 kg/m3

d) Using continuity equation,

ρ o AoVo = ρ e AeVe
Po P
( ) × AoVo = ( e ) AeVe
RTo RTe
 2.8 × 10 5   35,000 
 × π 0.325 × 240 =   × Ae × 1618.405
2

 287(273 + 550)   287(273 + 770) 
1.1854 × 0.3318 × 240 = 0.1169 × 1618.405 × Ae
94.4045
= Ae
189.1915
Ae = 0.49899m 2
πD 2
= 0.49899
4
1.99596
∴D = = 0.797 m
π

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2. A turbofan designed to have two thirds of its thrust to be derived from the fan and one third from the
core when its exhaust nozzle is operating at the designed conditions (i.e. third critical point) with an
exit velocity of 385 m/s.

The designed operating speed of an aircraft powered by a turbofan engine is 830 km/hr at an altitude
where the ambient pressure and density are 0.4 bar and 0.58 kg/m3, respectively.

The inlet efficiency of this turbofan is known to be 85%. The work extracted from the turbine to drive
the fan effectively increases the total pressure across the fan by an additional 25%, and the fan exits
directly to atmosphere.

Neglect the change in mass flow rate through the core since the fuel flow rate is only a very small
fraction of the air flow rate through the core.

Determine:
a. the total pressure at the entrance to the inlet,
b. the total pressure at the fan-face,
c. the total pressure at the exit section of the fan,
d. the airflow velocity (V3) at the fan exit into the atmosphere

1000
V0 = 830 ⋅ = 230.55 m / s
3600

a. At entrance to the inlet ( pt )1 = ( pt )0 = p0 + 12 ρV02

( p t )1 = 0.4 ⋅ 10 5 + 12 (0.58)(230.55)2
= 55414.46 N / m 2

b. At the fan-face ( pt )2 = 0.85( pt )1

( pt )2 = 0.85(55414.46)
= 47102.29 N / m 2

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c. At the exit section of the fan ( pt )3 = 1.25( pt )2
( pt )3 = 1.25(47102.29)
= 58877.86 N / m 2

d. At the fan exit to the atmosphere ( pt )3 = p0 + 12 ρV32

58877.86 − 40000
V32 = 1
2 (0.58)

= 65096.07
V3 = 255.14 m / s

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3. The figure below shows a turbofan engine operating at the following conditions:

- Altitude = 19,000 m
- Ambient temperature = -56 °C
- Ambient pressure = 0.055 bar
- Aircraft Mach number = 0.80
- Mass flow rate of air into the core engine = 105 kg/s
- Air-to-fuel ratio in the core engine = 80 :1
- Engine Bypass ratio = 8.4:1
- Fan exhaust operating at the third critical point
- Fan exhaust velocity = 1,100 km/h
- Core engine exit pressure = 0.35 bar
- Core engine exhaust velocity = 1,300 km/h

Determine
a. the thrust produced by the fan,
b. the thrust produced by the core, and
c. the propulsive efficiency of this turbofan engine, using fan exit velocity.

a. The thrust developed by the fan.

Fan operating at third critical point: Pe, fan = Pambient = 0.055bar
•
F fan = m fan (V fan − V0 ) + A fan ( Pfan − P0 )
= (882)(305.556 − 236.224) + (5.7256)(0.055 − 0.055) × 10 5
= 61150.824 N = 61.2kN

b. The thrust developed by the core

• •
Fc = m e (Ve ) − m 0 (V0 ) + Ac ( Pc − P0 )
= (105 + 1.3125)(361.111) − (105)(236.224) + 0.5675(0.35 − 0.055) × 10 5
= 38390.613 − 24803.52 + 16741.25
= 30328.343 N = 30.3kN

c. Propulsive efficiency = 2 V0 / ( Ve + V0 )
= 2 (236.224) / (236.224 + 305.556)
= 0.872 or 87.2%

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4. The diffuser section of a gas turbine engine is usually located between the compressor section and
the combustion chamber. Figure 4.1 shows the diagram of a diffuser case.

Figure 4.1
a. List the functions of the diffuser section.
i. To reduce the velocity of air flow and prepare it to enter the combustion chamber
ii. To provide mounting ports for the fuel nozzle ports
iii. To provide outlet for taping of compressor bleed air
iv. To provide mounting points for the combustion chamber
v. To provide mounting ports for igniters

b. Using Bernoulli’s principle, explain the change in pressure and velocity of air in the diffuser
section.

According to Bernoulli’s principle, for an incompressible fluid, when the velocity of the flow
increases, its pressure must decrease such that the total mechanical energy in the fluid
remains constant. The diffuser is a divergent section that reduces the velocity of the subsonic
airflow, raising the pressure of the air. The diffuser is the point of highest pressure within the
engine.

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5. The combustion chamber has the difficult task of burning large quantities of fuel, supplied through
the fuel spray nozzles, with extensive volumes of air, supplied by the compressor, and releasing the
heat in such a manner that the air is expanded and accelerated to give a smooth stream of
uniformly heated gas at all conditions required by the turbine. This task must be accomplished with
the minimum loss in pressure and with the maximum heat release for the limited space available.
The Figure below shows the diagram of a modern day combustion chamber.

a. Identify the components labeled A, B, C and D and briefly describe their functions.

b. Describe the type of combustion chamber shown in the Figure and give three advantages and
three disadvantages of this type of combustion chamber.

a.

A – Compressor outlet guide vane

Function – To direct the gas into the diffuser / combustion chamber after it leaves the high
pressure compressor blade

B – Turbine nozzle guide vane

Function – To raise the velocity of the gas correctly guide it into the rotor blades

C – Dilution air holes

Function – To lower the gas temperature in the dilution zone

D – Fuel nozzles
Function – To supply atomised/vaporised fuel and mix it with the air in the combustion chamber

b. It is an annular combustion chamber.

Advantages – Efficient air and gas handling, space saving, no combustion propagation problem
Disadvantages – Expensive, susceptible to warping, not easily removed for maintenance

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