AER8505

Problmes Spciaux de Fabrication Aronautique

Special Problems in Aerospace Manufacturing

1. Basic Principles of Gas

Turbine Engines
Serafettin ENGIN, Ph.D.
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE MONTREAL
ENGINEERING FACULTY
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Montreal, Quebec

1. Basic Principles of Gas Turbine Engines

The fundamental idea; Forcing a stream of vapor, liquid, or any other substance through a narrow
aperture will produce a force acting in the opposite direction, in accordance with Newtons
basic lows.
In gas turbine engines, this principle is applied by installing a compressor towards front of the
engine, to draw in a large volume of air and hold it at high pressure.
A set of burners are then positioned in the gas flow behind the compressor, injecting fuel into the
gas stream and igniting it.
With fuel supplied and burners active, the temperature and volume of the following gas increase
greatly, but with the compressor blocking forward flow, the net result is to expel the gas
rapidly in the opposite direction, back towards the exit at the high velocity, thus generating
forward thrust.
A turbine situated in the path of escaping gas provides the power for the compressor, so the cycle
can continue as long as fuel continues to be supplied to the burners.

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1. Basic Principles of Gas Turbine Engines

A simple gas turbine
engine consists of five
distinct sections: inlet
duct,

compressor,

combustion chamber,
turbine

and

exhaust

duct.

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1. Basic Principles of Gas Turbine Engines

A simple gas turbine engine consists of five distinct sections: inlet

duct, compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and exhaust duct.

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2. Aircraft/Aerospace Engines
2.1. Turbojets
Turbojets generate their thrust from a relatively small mass of highly accelerated
air, all of which passes through the body of the engine. Only the minimum power
for operating the compressor and any other components is removed, with the
rest being used entirely for propulsion. Turbojets produce low trust at low
takeoff speeds, so aircraft powered by turbojets need long takeoff rolls.
However, turbojets have the lightest specific weigth and smallest frontal area,
which offers design advantages. They are well-suited for high speed, high
altitude long distance flights.

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2. Aircraft/Aerospace Engines
2.2. Turbofans
Turbofans are similar, but have a duct-enclosed fan at the front of the engine, to
help in producing additional thrust without requiring an increased fuel flow.
Instead, more of the fuel energy is converted into pressurized gas energy,
allowing turbofans to generate more thrust than simple turbojets and require
shorter take off runs. This increased efficiency is combined with a substantial
noise reduction, typically 1020%, a very important consideration. Turbofans
suit long range, high speed flights.

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2. Aircraft/Aerospace Engines
2.3. Turboprops

Turboprops are easily recognized by their propellor blades positioned at the

front of the engine. In this design, the majority of the gas stream energy is used
to drive the propeller blades, along with powering the compressor. Turboprops
are highly efficient at low airspeeds, resulting in short take off rolls. But the
design is more complicated and heavier than turbojets or turbofans, and the
physical presence of the blades and the jets larger frontal area requires design
alterations to the aircrafts undercarriage for support. Turbofans are limited to
airspeeds of approximately 500 mph/800 km/h, and are best for flying heavy
loads off short or medium runways.

Turboshafts, the engines used to

drive helicopter rotor blades, are
essentially similar to turboprops.

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3. Engine Components

Engine Components (Sandvik)

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3. Example Engine Parts and Manufacturing Processes

Rotors; Fans, compressors,

impellers (Ti):
turning, flank milling,
point milling, drilling

Combustion chamber,
Liners (Nickel alloys):
forming, welding,
laser drilling, turning,
milling

Shafts:
deep hole drilling,
turning, milling, grinding

Light alloy cases (Al, Mg):

casting, high speed machining,
drilling, boring

Fuel Nozzles:
milling, turning, drilling,
brazing

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Turbine Discs (Nickel Alloys):

Turning, milling, broaching,
drilling, grinding

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References:

A. F. El-Sayed, "Aircraft propulsion and gas turbine engines", 2008

Sandvik, Aerospace Engines and Gas Turbines Application Guide, 2002
B. Gunston, "The development of jet and turbine aero engines", 2006
S. Farokhi, "Aircraft propulsion", 2009
M.J.L. Turner, "Rocket and spacecraft propulsion : principles, practice and new developments", 2009
F.C. Campbell, "Manufacturing technology for aerospace structural materials", 2006
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D. STEPHONSON and J. AGOPIOU, Metal Cutting Theory and Practice, Marcel Dekker Inc., 1997
Dyadem Press , "Guidelines for failure mode and effects analysis for automotive, aerospace and general manufacturing industries", 2004
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F.F. LING, Surface Mechanics The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASME Journal of Manufacturing Science & Engineering
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Annals of the CIRP

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