ME2351 GAS DYNAMICS

AND JET PROPULSION

Unit- IV
Jet Propulsion

Jet Propulsion
Principle of jet propulsion is
obtained from the application of
Newtons third law
For every action there is
an equal and opposite
reaction.

Thrust
When the fluid is to be accelerated,
a force is required to produce this
acceleration in this fluid.
At the same time, there is an equal
and opposite reaction force acting
on this fluid.
This opposite reaction force of the
fluid on the engine is known as
Thrust.

Classification of Jet
Propulsion
1. Air breathing engines
Combustion takes place by using
atmospheric air.
2. Rocket engines
Combustion takes place by using
its own oxygen supply.

Classification of
Air breathing engines
1.Ram jet engine
2.Pulse jet engine
3.Turbo jet engine
4.Turbo prop engine
5.Turbo fan engine

Ramjet Engine
Headings:
1. Diagram
2. Construction
3. Working
4. Advantages
5. Disadvantages
6. Applications

Diagram

Main parts
Supersonic diffuser
Subsonic diffuser
Combustion chamber
Discharge nozzle section

Ram effect Ram Pressure:

The function of supersonic and
subsonic diffusers are to convert
the kinetic energy of the entering
air into pressure energy. This
energy transformation is called
ram effect and the pressure rise
is called the ram pressure.

Advantages
Very simple and does not
have any moving parts.
Low cost.
Less maintenance.
Better specific fuel
consumption.
No upper limit to the flight
speed.
Light weight when compared

Dis Advantages
Take off thrust is zero, it is
not possible to start a ram jet
engine without an external
launching device.
Very difficult to design a
diffuser.
Low thermal efficiency.

Applications
High speed air crafts and
missiles due to its high
thrust and high operational
speed.
Subsonic ramjets are used
in target weapons.

Pulse Jet Engine (or)

Flying Bomb

Main Parts
Diffuser
Valve grid which contains springs
that close on their own spring
pressure
Combustion chamber
Spark plug
Tail pipe or discharge nozzle.

Advantages
Very simple device next to
ramjet engine.
Less maintenance
Low cost
Light weight when compared
with turbojet engine.

Dis Advantages
High rates of fuel
consumption.
Maximum flight speed is
limited to 750 km/h.
Low propulsive efficiency
than turbojet engines.
High degree of vibration
leads to noise pollution.

Applications
Subsonic flights
German V-I missiles
Target aircraft missiles
Pilotless air craft

Turbojet Engine
Most common type of air
breathing engine is the
turbojet engine.
Main parts
1. Diffuser
2. Rotary compressor
3. Combustion chamber
4. Turbine

Diagram

Advantages

Simple construction
Less wear and tear
Less maintenance cost
It runs smoothly
High flight speed
Low grade fuels like kerosene,
paraffin can be used. This reduces
fuel cost.

Dis advantages
Low take-off thrust and poor starting
characteristics.
High fuel consumption.
Costly materials are used.
Sudden decrease of speed is difficult.
Propulsive efficiency and thrust are
lower at lower speeds.

Applications
Piloted air-crafts.
Military air-crafts.

Turbo-Prop Engine (or)

Turbo-Propeller Engine
It is very similar to turbojet engine. In this type,
the turbine drives the compressor and propeller.
Main parts:
Diffuser
Compressor
Combustion chamber
Turbine
Exhaust nozzle
Reduction gear and
Propeller

Diagram

Advantages
High take-off thrust
Good propeller efficiency at a speed below
800km/h.
Reduced vibration and noise.
Better fuel economy.
Easy maintenance.
Wide range of speeds.
Power output not limited.
Sudden decrease of speed is possible by
thrust reversal.

Disadvantages
Propeller efficiency is rapidly decreases
at high speeds due to shocks and flow
separation.
It requires a reduction gear which
increases the cost of the engine.
More space needed than turbo jet engine.
Engine construction is more complicated.

Applications
The turbo prop engine is best suited
for commercial and military air-craft
operation due to its high flexibility of
operation and good fuel economy.

Turbofan Engine
The turbofan engine is a combination of
the turbo prop and the turbojet engines
combining the advantages of both.
Main parts:
Fan
Compressor
Combustion chamber
Turbine
Fan nozzle

Diagram

By Pass Ratio:
The ratio of the mass flow rates of
cold air and the hot air is known as
By Pass Ratio.

Advantages
Thrust is developed is higher than
turbo jet engine.
Weight per unit thrust is lower than
turbo prop engine.
Less noise
High take-off thrust.

Disadvantages
Increased frontal area.
Fuel consumption is high compared
to turbo prop engine.
Construction
is
complicated
compared to turbo jet engine.
Lower speed limit than turbojet
engine.

Unit-V
Rocket
Propulsion

The thrust required for the propulsion

of rocket is produced by the high
velocity of gases leaving from the
nozzle

which

propulsion.

is

similar

to

jet

In jet propulsion, the oxygen required for

combustion is taken from the atmosphere.
But in the case of rocket propulsion, since
the altitude of rocket engine is very high,
enough oxygen is not available in the
atmosphere. So the oxygen is filled in a
tank in the rocket engine itself and used
for combustion purposes.

Classification of Rocket
Engines(1)
Chemical rocket engines
1. Liquid propellant rocket engine
2. Solid propellant rocket engine
3.Hybrid propellant rocket engine
Nuclear rocket engines
Electrical rocket engines
Solar rocket engines

Classification of Rocket Engines(2)

Based on Application
1. Space rockets
2. Military rockets
3. Weather forecasting rockets
4. Booster rockets
Based on Number of stages
1. Single stage rockets
2. Multistage rockets
Based on Size and Range
1. Short range small rocket
2.Long range large rocket

Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine

Advantages
It can be reused after recovery. So it
is economical.
Combustion process is controllable.
Speed regulation.
High specific impulse.
More economical for long range
operation.
Malfunctions and accidents can be
rectified at any stage.

Disadvantages
More complicated.
High manufacturing cost.
Propellants
are
poisonous
and
corrosive.
Size and weight of the engine is more
compared to solid propellant rocket
engine.
High vibration.
Proper insulation is needed.

Liquid Propellants
Types:
1. Monopropellants
2. Bipropellants

Monopropellants

A liquid propellant which contains both

the fuel and oxidizer in a single
chemical is known as monopropellant.
It is stable at normal ambient conditions
and liberates thermo-chemical energy
on heating.
Examples:
1. Nitroglycerine
2. Nitro methane
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
4. Hydrazine

Bipropellants
If the fuel and oxidizer are different from
each other in its chemical nature, then
the propellant is called bipropellant.

Widely used in liquid propellant rocket

systems.

Oxidizer
Liquid oxygen

Fuel
Gasoline, Methane,
Ethanol, Hydrazine

Red fuming nitric

Aniline, Ethanol
acid
White fuming nitric Alcohol
acid
Hydrogen peroxide Hydrazine,
Ethanol, Methanol

Properties of Liquid
Propellants
High calorific value.
High density.
Low vapour pressure and density.
High specific heat and thermal conductivity.
Products of combustion produces high jet velocity.
Non-corrosive and non-reactive with components.
Should not be poisonous and hazardous
Cheap and easily available.
Easily ignitable.

Liquid Propellant Feed

System
Types:
1. Gas pressure feed
system.
2. Pump feed system.

Gas Pressure Feed

system

Pump Feed System

Combustion
Basic Processes:
Injection
Atomization
Mixing
Vaporization
Ignition
Chemical reaction between fuel
and oxidizer

Various methods to atomize

and mix the fuel and oxidizer

Parallel stream type

Impinging stream type
Spray injection type

Solid Propellant Rocket

Engine

Advantages
Simple in design and construction
No need for feed system (No pump &
valves)
Less vibration due to absence of
moving parts.
Less maintenance.
Suitable for short range applications.
Problem arising from the sudden
emptying of propellant tanks are
absent.

Disadvantages
In case of emergency it is difficult to
stop the engine in the mid way.
Decrease of speed is not possible.
Low specific impulse.
Nozzle cooling is not possible.
Transportation and handling of these
rockets before firing require greater
care due to the presence of
propellants throughout.

Solid Propellants
Types:
1.Heterogeneous
(or)
Composite propellants.
2.Homogeneous propellants.

Heterogeneous
propellants
Fuels:
Plastics, Polymers and PVC

Oxidizers:
Nitrates and Per chlorates

Homogeneous
propellants

Nitroglycerine and nitrocellulose

It combines the properties of fuel
and oxidizers.

Properties of Solid
Propellants
It should release large amount of heat during
combustion.
Physical and chemical properties should not
change during processing.
High density.
It should not be poisonous and hazardous.
Cheap and easily available.
Non-corrosive and non-reactive with
components of the engine.
Storage and handling should be easy.

Hybrid propellant rocket

engine

Advantages
Speed regulation is possible by regulating
the supply of oxidizer.
High load capacity.
Hybrid rockets are lighter when compared
to the liquid propellant type rockets.
Higher fuel density.
In case of accident or crash the explosion
is less destructive compared to the liquid
propellant rocket engines.

Disadvantages
Nozzle erosion cannot be avoided.

Hybrid propellants
Fuel

Oxidizer

Beryllium
hydride
Lithium hydride

Fluorine

Lithium hydride
Hydrocarbon

Chlorine
trifluoride
Nitrogen
tetroxide
Nitrogen

Nuclear Rocket Engine

Electrical Rocket Engine

The fundamental requirement for rocket
propulsion is the generation of very high
exhaust velocities in order to minimize the
propellant consumption.
Electrical

propulsion

engines

generate

exhaust velocities from about 4 to 100

times those of chemical rocket engines.

Types of Electrical rocket

engines
1. Arc plasma rocket engine
2. Ion rocket engine
3. Magneto-plasma rocket engine

Arc plasma rocket

engine

Ion Rocket Engine

Engine(or) Magneto
Hydrodynamics Rocket Engine
(MHD)