Factors affecting thrust: Gas turbine engine operates under varying condition that affect the amount of thrust

the engine produces. These conditions affect either the momentum of air fuel flows through the jet nozzle. a) Jet nozzle velocity During most normal high speed operations, the exhaust nozzle operates in a chocked condition. This means that the gases flowing out of the engine have been accelerated to the speed of sound and they cannot be accelerated any further. The value of V2 in the thrust formula remains relatively constant, changing only the temp of the exhaust gas changes the speed of sound. Wherever the nozzle is not chocked, varied atmospheric condition will cause some changes in jet nozzle velocity. b) Airspeed When a turbojet or turbo fan engine operating at high power and the aircraft in which it is mounted is not moving the value of V1 in thrust energy is zero and thrust is maximum.

Fn = Wa (V2 V1) g

Wf (V2) g

Aj (P2 Pam)

When the aircraft is moving forward the velocity V1 of the air entering the engine increases, but at higher power, the exhaust nozzle is chocked and the value V2, do not increase proportionally. Therefore, as airspeed increases the net thrust decreases.

c) Mass Airflow The most significant variable in the thrust equation is mass air flow. (Wa/g) Many factors affect the mass airflow, the most important being air temperature, pressure, because these factors determine the density of the air entering the engine & ram effect. Air Density & the effect of Temperature & Pressure Air density has a profound effect on the thrust produced. The volume of the air flowing through the engine is relatively fixed for any particular rpm by the size and geometry of the inlet duct system. But since the thrust is determined by mass, not the volume of air, any increases in its density increases the mass and thus the thrust. As the temperature of the air increases its density decreases. Therefore the thrust produced by the engine decreases.

As the air pressure increases, its density increases, causing thrust produced by the engine to increase.

d) Altitude effect Altitude has a double effect on thrust. As the altitude increases, the air becomes colder and denser, up to the beginning of stratosphere. This causes the thrust to increase. But at the same time, the increase in altitude causes decrease in pressure, thus a decrease in density and corresponding decrease in thrust. Since the loss of thrust caused by decreasing pressure is greater than the increase caused by decreasing temperature. Thus the thrust decreases as the aircraft ascends. At the beginning of stratosphere at approximately 36,000 feet temperature stabilizes at -56.50C and remains at this temperature up to around 85000 feet. The pressure continues to fall above the 36,000 feet and the thrust therefore drops off at a faster rate than it does at the lower altitudes. This increased drop off in thrust makes 36,000 feet a chosen altitude for a long range cruise in jet powered aircraft.

e) Ram effect The compression of air in an inlet duct arising from forward motion is called ram pressure or ram effect. Because of ram effect, increasing air speed also increases the pressure of the air & airflow into engine (Wa). As turbine powered aircraft begins to move forward for tale off, air is rammed into the inlet duct and mass flow through the engine increases. The faster the aircraft moves the greater the increase in thrust. This is shown in the figure Curve A

But, an increase in forward speed decreases the amount of air is accelerated and the thrust decreases. This is shown in the figure, Curve B. The thrust increase caused by the ram effect is grater than decrease in thrust caused by increase in air speed and the net increase is shown in curve C. The thrust increase becomes greater an air speed increase.