Thrust Equation for a Gas Turbine Engine

ThrustEquationforaGasTurbineEngine
Thrustproducedbyaturbojetengineisdeterminedby3things:
a) Thechangeismomentumexperiencedbyairflowingthroughtheengine.
b) Themomentumoffuel.
c) Theforcecausedbythedifferenceinpressureacrosstheexhaustnozzle
tomultiplybyareaofnozzle.
Thereare2typesofthrust:
a) Netthrust&
b) GrossThrust
a) Net Thrust: The thrust produced by a turbojet engine in flight. Net
thrustconsidersamomentumofairenteringandleavingtheengine.
b)GrossThrust:Thethrustproducedbyaturbojetenginewhentheengine
isstaticornotmoving.Grossthrustconsidertheinletmomentumbezero.
Mass
Bothweightandmassmaybeexpressedintermsofpounds,butthey
arenot thesame.Massistheamount ofmatter inanobject andisnot
affectedbygravitationalpullofearth.Weightonthehandistheeffectof
gravityonmass.
Mass=Weight(Pounds)

Accelerationduetogravity.


Mass=Weight(Pounds)

32.2fps2

Momentumchange
Momentumistheproductofthemassofanobjectmultipliedbyits
velocity. The momentum of air and fuel passing through a gas turbine
engine is found by dividing their weight in pounds per second by the
accelerationduetogravityor32.2feetpersecond.Thisisthenmultiplied
bythevelocityofgasesleavestheengine.
Momentumofairandfuelleavingengine=Wa+WfxV2
g

where,
Wa=Weightofairflowingthroughtheengineispoundspersecond.
Wf=Fuelflowinpoundspersecond.
g=Constantforaccelerationduetogravityof32.2feetpersecond
V2=Velocityofexhaustgasesinfeetpersecond.

Thefueliscarriedintheaircraft.Soithasnoinitialvelocityrelative
totheengine.Themomentumofairandfuelenteringoftheengineis
Momentumofairandfuelenteringengine=WaxV 1+o


V1=Velocityofincomingairinfeetpersecond.Thisisthespeedofaircraft.
Theportionofthrustproducedby thechangeinmomentum ofair
andfuelpassingthroughtheengineisthesumofthechangeinmomentum
ofairandchangeinmomentumoffuel.
Theformulaforthisportionofthrustis

F=Wa(V2V1)+Wf(V2)
gg

Insomepracticalproblems,themassofthefuelflowisomitted,asit
isquitesmallincomparisonwiththemassofairflow.
AirPressureatNozzle
Many subsonic jet nozzles operating in a chocked condition. This
meansthatairflowingthroughtheconvergentsectionoftheexhaustduct
reachesthespeedofsoundandcannolongeraccelerate.Theenergythat
would have caused acceleration now increases the pressure and crates
componentofthrustbythedifferencebetweentheexhaustpressureand
pressureofairsurroundingtheexhaustnozzle.
Thiscomponentofthrustmaybefoundbythisformula.

F=Aj(P2Pam)
Where,
Aj=Aeraofextentjetnozzleinsquareincher.

P2 =Staticairpressureatthejet nozzledischargeinpoundsper square

inch.
Pam=Staticpressureofambientairatthejetnozzleinpoundspersquare
inch.
Thetotalnetthrustproducedbyaturbojetorturbofanenginemaybe
found by combining of the two type of thrust discussed into a single
formula.

Netthrust(Fn)=Thrustcanedbychangeinmomentumoftheair
+
Thrustcausedbychangingmomentumoffuel
+
Thrustcausedbypressuredropsnetnozzle.

Fn=Wa(V2V1)+Wf(V2)+Aj(P2Pam)
gg

Momentumofair
Momentum
fuel
drop
exhaust
nozzle
TurboFanEngineThrust

of

Pressure

across
jet

Whencomputingthethrustproducedbyaturbofanengine,compute
thethrustofthecoreengineandthrustproducedbythemomentumchange
ofairpassingthroughthefan.Thetotalthrustthesumofthrustfromcore
engineandthrustfromfan.

Thrusttotal=Thrustcoreengine+Thrustfan