Turbine Engine Design
Overview
Turbine engines provide a tremendous amount of thrust for an aircraft. Takeoff requires the maximum thrust available to accelerate the aircraft from rest to takeoff speed before the end the runway. During cruise the engines must overcome drag throughout the flight. Engine designers must balance the thrust needs with fuel economy. Inefficient engines mean that more fuel must be carried and more fuel is used than needed. Both result in a cost increase for the airline operator or a military.
In this activity I use the NASA software simulator to design a turbine engine
that will be the most fuel-efficient engine.
Turbine engines provide a tremendous amount of thrust for an aircraft. Takeoff requires the maximum thrust available to accelerate the aircraft from rest to takeoff speed before the end the runway. During cruise the engines must overcome drag throughout the flight. Engine designers must balance the thrust needs with fuel economy. Inefficient engines mean that more fuel must be carried and more fuel is used than needed. Both result in a cost increase for the airline operator or a military.
In this activity I use the NASA software simulator to design a turbine engine
that will be the most fuel-efficient engine.
Equipment
· Engineering notebook
· Pencil
· PC
· Internet access
· Engineering notebook
· Pencil
· PC
· Internet access
Engine Information- The Turbo Fan
Turbo Fans are just like regular turbine engines except the area near the fan is larger.
This allows more cooler air around the engine, making it quieter than other jet engines. This is most practical for Airliners as the noise pollution will not bother passengers and populated residential communities.descriptiondescription
Turbo Fans are just like regular turbine engines except the area near the fan is larger.
This allows more cooler air around the engine, making it quieter than other jet engines. This is most practical for Airliners as the noise pollution will not bother passengers and populated residential communities.descriptiondescription
The fan has multiple blades and is enclosed by the inlet, there is greater efficiency at higher speeds compared to a typical propeller. The turbofan gets some its overall thrust from the fan by pushing the air backwards.
The compressor is a series of stages where the pressure and temperature of the incoming air is increased- "compressed".
The combustion chamber is where the fuel is burned.
The bypass area is where the air is passed from the fan to the following parts.
The turbine is where energy is extracted from the hot gases after passing through the combustor. There is an additional stage in the turbofan turbine, the fan turbine where the energy for the fan is extracted.
The exhaust is where the compressed and heated gases are passed through to the propelling nozzle to generate thrust.
The compressor is a series of stages where the pressure and temperature of the incoming air is increased- "compressed".
The combustion chamber is where the fuel is burned.
The bypass area is where the air is passed from the fan to the following parts.
The turbine is where energy is extracted from the hot gases after passing through the combustor. There is an additional stage in the turbofan turbine, the fan turbine where the energy for the fan is extracted.
The exhaust is where the compressed and heated gases are passed through to the propelling nozzle to generate thrust.
Technical Documentation
The green section highlighted above has the best combination of efficiency and thrust to weight ratio/TSFC.
Conclusion Questions
What did you learn from this project?
I learned how to use the NASA software better and how to record large amounts of data. Though I had to go back and fix many errors in my data table, it was overall very beneficial in developing a greater understanding of the software. Additionally, I learned how to focus on recording the right numbers and seeing how they correlate with the end product. It was interesting to see what makes a good and efficient engine. I am able to see how much thinking and number crunching goes in to figuring out the perfect engine type for the aircraft.
What was the easiest part of the project and why?
The easiest part of the project was typing in the repeated numbers and coming up with a conclusion as to which engine type is most efficient. Almost all the numbers stayed the same for the most part so it was mainly just making sure you typed in the correct number in the correct row and column. Out of all the fields, the temperatures input was the easiest because a lot of them were repeated and only a few times did the engine overheat.
What was the hardest part of the project and why?
The hardest part was putting in all the correct numbers. There were multiple times where I had to go back and find the efficiency for all the different simulations. I frequently double checked all my data because I didn't want any mistakes that would lead to improper data. Another hard part was choosing the variables to change and then remembering to change them back when moving to the next simulation.
What did you learn from this project?
I learned how to use the NASA software better and how to record large amounts of data. Though I had to go back and fix many errors in my data table, it was overall very beneficial in developing a greater understanding of the software. Additionally, I learned how to focus on recording the right numbers and seeing how they correlate with the end product. It was interesting to see what makes a good and efficient engine. I am able to see how much thinking and number crunching goes in to figuring out the perfect engine type for the aircraft.
What was the easiest part of the project and why?
The easiest part of the project was typing in the repeated numbers and coming up with a conclusion as to which engine type is most efficient. Almost all the numbers stayed the same for the most part so it was mainly just making sure you typed in the correct number in the correct row and column. Out of all the fields, the temperatures input was the easiest because a lot of them were repeated and only a few times did the engine overheat.
What was the hardest part of the project and why?
The hardest part was putting in all the correct numbers. There were multiple times where I had to go back and find the efficiency for all the different simulations. I frequently double checked all my data because I didn't want any mistakes that would lead to improper data. Another hard part was choosing the variables to change and then remembering to change them back when moving to the next simulation.