Problem: Determine the specific thrust for a simple turbojet engine, having the following component

performance at the design point at which the cruise speed and altitude are M=0.8 and 10,000m.
Compression ratio: 8.0
Turbine inlet temperature 1200K
Isentropic efficiencies
compressor, =0.87
turbine, =0.90
intake, =0.93
propelling nozzle, =0.95
Mechanical transmission efficiency, =0.99
Combustion pressure loss p=4% of compressor delivery pressure

Let us consider the various process step-by-step

1. Process start at atmospheric conditions marked by a dot in the above diagram, where at an
altitude of 10,000 m the pressure is pa=0.265 bar and temperature is Ta=223.3 K, and

sonic velocity is 299.5 m/s. The International Standard Atmosphere provides these
properties at various altitudes and the sonic velocity can also be calculated using the
following relation

The ratio of specific heats is fairly constant (1.333 used here) for air with slight reduction at
very high temperatures, R is the gas constant and is equal to R=287 J/kg-K. This gives
a=299.5 m/s, which is much lower than the velocity of sound at sea level conditions.
The stagnation conditions (only temperature needed) are calculated first for the inlet

M=0.8, this gives T0a=251.9K

2. Now, please note even when the intake process is nonisentropic the final stagnation
temperature after the intake will remain the same, because the friction does not affect the
stagnation temperature; however there will be loss in pressure during the intake and
actual stagnation pressure p01 will be less than that is available before the intake, i.e. p0a.
We will use the isentropic efficiency relation to calculate the temperature T 01'.

This gives T01'=249.898. Note that the isentropic efficiency is a defined quantity in terms of
ratio of temperature rise for isentropic and nonisentropic process to the same pressure. Since
we are converting the kinetic energy of the flow into pressure (Bernoulli's equation), an
isentropic (no losses) process can give same pressure rise in less amount of inlet kinetic
energy, and therefore T01' is less than T01. Now, from isentropic relation

01
01
=

This gives p01=0.393.

3. Compressor: A fixed compression ratio is given for the compressor, which again is
nonisentropic process. p02=8.0x0.393=3.144bar. To find the final temperature after
compression, we will again use the isentropic relation and isentropic efficiency of
compressor.

02
02
=
01
01

This gives the temperature at the outlet from the compressore T02=486.8K
4. Combustion chamber: There is a 4% loss in pressure in the combustion chamber,
therefore
03 = 02 0.04 02 = 3.018
Outlet of combustion chamber is inlet to turbine, for which the temperature is already
given in the problem as T03=1200 K
5. Turbine: the mechanical efficiency of the system is given as 99%, which is basically
fraction of the power generated by the turbine that is fed to the compressor.

02 01 02 01
=
=
03 04 03 04

In the above equation the only unknown quantity is T04, which can calculated as 992.3 K.
This is the temperature at the exhaust of the turbine and inlet to the propelling nozzle, but
we dont know the turbine outlet stagnation pressure. For that we again use the same
approach of isentropic relation and isentropic efficiency as

04
04
=
03
03

this yield p04=1.284 bar

6. Propelling nozzle: we know that any nozzle for which the pressure ratio is above the
critical pressure ratio (please note how you define critical pressure ratio) is a choked
nozzle.
04
+1
=

1
= 1.894
0.528

Choking will be discussed in detail later. Just assume that any extra pressure above the
critical pressure is waste for a converging nozzle and cannot be utilized in any way
(blown up statement). Therefore, the exit pressure of the nozzle will be
p5=p*=1.284/1.894=0.6779. Similarly T5=T*=850.7 K. Note that the quantities marked
by * in the relations below are static quantities and not stagnation quantities.

And the conditions at the exit of nozzle are sonic, with exit velocity from the nozzle given
by sonic velocity at local temperature

5 = 570.5/

Thrust and propelling efficiency

= + ( )
Specific thrust

= + ( )

Now the mass flow rate is

 = =

We have all the variables to calculate the thrust force. Similarly, the propelling efficiency is defined
as

+
2

Where the second term in the denominator is the kinetic energy of gases lost in the wake of
the aircraft. The total energy is used in propelling the aircraft and increasing the kinetic
energy of the jet. Note that the propelling efficiency does not include energy of fuel
conversion or combustion efficiency. It just defines how good the design of the propelling
system is. Simplifying above
=

1+

Also, note that when thrust is maximum, the efficiency is minimum and when efficiency is maximum
the thrust is minimum. Therefore, aircraft engines are designed such that uj and ua are close in
magnitude.
A list of other aircraft engine is given below in decreasing order of mass flow rate and increasing
order of jet velocity. The higher the jet velocity the higher speed the aircraft should be used at for
optimum propelling efficiency.

Propeller
Turboprop
Turbofan
Turbojet
Ramjet