Introduction to Jet Propulsion

Strong and Reliable Muscles for the Aircraft

Propulsion - Overview

What is propulsion?
The word is derived from two Latin words:
pro meaning before or forwards and
pellere meaning to drive.
Propulsion means to push forward or drive an object
forward.
A propulsion system is a machine that produces thrust to
push an object forward.
On airplanes, thrust is usually generated through some
application of Newton's third law of action and reaction.
A gas, or working fluid, is accelerated by a machine, and the
reaction to this acceleration produces a force on the engine.

Jet Propulsion
Operating principle based on Newtons laws of motion.
2nd law - rate of change of momentum is proportional to
applied thrust (i.e. F = m a)
3rd law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Classification of Systems
Only the practical thermo-chemical category will be considered
further in this Course.
This may be split into two main sub-categories:
Rockets (Solid or Liquid Propellant);
Air Breathers (Ramjet, Turbojet , Turbofan & Turboprop);
A Hybrid Ram rocket.
The fundamental operating principle common in all these cases
is , that of jet or reaction propulsion, i.e. by generating highvelocity exhaust gases.

Jet Characteristics
Quantities defining a jet are:
cross-sectional area;
composition;
velocity.
Of these, only the velocity is a truly characteristic feature and
is of considerable quantitative significance.

Jet Characteristics of Practical Propulsion Systems

System

Jet Velocity (m/s)

Turbofan

200 - 600

Turbojet (sea-level, static)

350 - 600

Turbojet (Mach 2 at 36000 ft)

900 - 1200

Ramjet (Mach 2 at 36000 ft)

900 - 1200

Ramjet (Mach 4 at 36000 ft)

1800 - 2400

Solid Rocket

1500 2600

Liquid Rocket

2000 3500

Turbojets
As invented by Frank Whittle.

Typical Turbojet
Schematics

Turbojets - Basic Operating Features

Five basic components:
intake: captures air and efficiently delivers it to compressor.
compressor: increases air pressure and temperature.
combustor: adds kerosene to the air and burns the mixture to

increase the temperature and energy levels further.

turbine: extracts energy from the gases to drive the compressor
via a shaft.
nozzle: accelerates the gases further.

High levels of engineering required for efficient

operation, especially for compressor and turbine therefore costly compared with rocket.

World's first operational jet engine

Dimensions: 1.48 m long, 0.93 m diameter

Weight: 360 kg
Thrust: 450 kgf (4.4 kN) @ 13,000 rpm and 800 km/h
Compression ratio: 2.8:1
Specific fuel consumption: 2.16 gal/(lbh) [18.0 L/(kgh)]
For HeS 6:
Weight: 420 kg
Thrust: 550 kgf (5.4 kN) @ 13,300 rpm and 800 km/h
Specific fuel consumption: 6.06 L/(lbfh) [13.4 L/(kgfh)]

World's first Aircraft : He178

General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 7.48 m (24 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 7.20 m (23 ft 3 in)
Height: 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 9.1 m (98 ft)
Empty weight: 1,620 kg (3,572 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,998 kg (4,405 lb)
Powerplant: 1 HeS 3 turbojet, 4.4 kN (992 lbf)
Performance
Maximum speed: 698 km/h (380 mph)
Range: 200 km (125 mi)

Recent Turbojet Engine

The Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 was a reheated
(afterburning) turbojet which powered the supersonic
airliner Concorde.
General characteristics
Type: Turbojet
Length: 4039 mm (159 in)
Diameter: 1212 mm (47.75 in)
Dry weight: 3175 kg (7,000 lb)

 Components
Compressor: Axial flow, 7-stage low pressure, 7-stage
high pressure
Combustors: Nickel alloy construction annular chamber,
16 vapourising burners, each with twin outlets
Turbine: High pressure single stage, low pressure single
stage
Fuel type: Jet A1
Performance
Maximum Thrust: 169.2 kN (38,050 lbf)

 Overall pressure ratio: 15.5:1

Specific fuel consumption: 1.195 (cruise), 1.39 (SL) lb/
(hlbf)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 5.4

Turbojets for Guided Weapons

Harpoon
Jet velocity: 350 - 1200 m/s.

Teledyne J402-CA-400

Better propulsive efficiency than rockets (lower than turbofans).

Compact & low weight.
More complex, costly and unreliable than rockets.
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Harpoon : General Characteristics

Primary function: Air-, surface-, or submarine-launched
anti-surface (anti-ship) missile
Contractor: The McDonnell Douglas Astronautic Company
- East
Power plant: Teledyne Teledyne J402 turbojet, 660 lb
(300 kg)-force (2.9 kN) thrust, and a solid-propellant
booster for surface and submarine launches.
Length:
Air launched: 3.8 metres (12 ft) 7 in)
Surface and submarine launched: 4.6 metres (15 ft)

 Weight:
Air launched: 519 kilograms (1,140 lb)
Submarine or ship launched from box or canister
launcher: 628 kilograms (1,380 lb)
Diameter: 340 millimetres (13 in)
Wing span: 914 millimetres (36.0 in)
Maximum altitude: 910 metres (3,000 ft) with booster fins
and wings

 Range: Over-the-horizon (approx 50 nautical miles)

AGM-84D: 220 km (120 nmi)
RGM/UGM-84D: 140 km (75 nmi)
AGM-84E: 93 km (50 nmi)
AGM-84F: 315 km (170 nmi)
AGM-84H/K: 280 km (150 nmi)
Speed: High subsonic, around 850 km/h (460 knots, 240
m/s, or 530 mph)

 Guidance: Sea-skimming cruise monitored by radar

altimeter, active radar terminal homing
Warhead: 221 kilograms (490 lb), penetration highexplosive blast
Unit cost: US$720,000

Teledyne CAE J402-CA-400

Dimensions:
Length 74.8 cm (29.44 in.), Width 31.8 cm (12.52 in.
Physical Description:
Type: Turbojet
Thrust/speed: 2,937 N (660 lb) at 41,200 rpm
Compressor: 1-stage axial flow, 1-stage centrifugal flow
Combustor: annular
Turbine: 1-stage axial flow
Manufacturer: Teledyne CAE, Toledo

Micro-turbojets for Weapons

Turbofans
Compromise between turbojet and turboprop with
propeller now a fan enclosed within the engine.
Two air streams passing through engine, one of which bypasses
internal core.

Turbofans - Basic Operating Features

Similar to turbojet but turbine split into two with low
pressure turbine used to drive separate fan ahead of
compressor via twin-shaft arrangement.
Bypass effect increases the available mass flow rate and
thus reduces the jet velocity needed for a given amount of
thrust (improves propulsive efficiency).

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Turbofan
The Pratt & Whitney F119 is an afterburning turbofan
engine developed for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
The engine delivers thrust in the 35,000 lbf (160 kN) class,
and is designed for supersonic flight without the use of
afterburner.
Delivering almost 22% more thrust with 40% fewer parts
than conventional, fourth-generation military aircraft
engine models, the F119 allows sustained supercruise
speeds of up to Mach 1.72.

Specifications F119

General characteristics
Type: Twin-Spool, Augmented Turbofan
Length: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)
Diameter:
Dry weight: 3,900 lb
Components
Compressor: Twin Spool/Counter Rotating/Axial Flow/Low
Aspect Ratio
Combustors: Annular Combustor
Turbine: Axial Flow/Counter-Rotating

 Nozzle: Two Dimensional Vectoring

Convergent/Divergent
Performance
Maximum Thrust: >35,000 lbf (156 kN) (with
afterburner)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 9:1

Turbofans for GW

Tomahawk

Very good propulsive efficiency and

low specific fuel consumption
Only very long range applications

Jet velocity: 200 600 m/s

Bypass ratio: 0.5:1 (much higher
in aircraft applications)

Large volume and difficult to design

to small scales.
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Intakes - Turbofan/Turbojet
Tomahawk/ALCM

Harpoon/SLAM

Williams F107

Teledyne J402
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Turboprops
Turbine extracts most of the jet thrust to run a
propeller at the front, via a gear box.

Limited GW
applications
(possibly future
UAVs).
Mainly low-speed
aircraft applications
(limited to about
Mach 0.6).

Typical Turboprop Schematic

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Ramjets
Only three operating components:
intake (diffuser);
burner (combustion chamber);
nozzle.

Typical Ramjet
Schematic

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Ramjets - Basic Operating Features

Air decelerated in intake (diffuser) and pressure rises
due to ram effect.
Known as ram pressure and significant at supersonic
speeds.
A ramjet therefore needs neither a compressor nor a
turbine, simplifying the design and reducing the cost.
Greatest disadvantage is that it has to be accelerated up
to typically M = 2.0 before it produces any useful thrust.
Also complicated supersonic intake required to avoid
shock losses - could be nose, side or ventral mounted.
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Ramjets (Front Intake) for GW

Jet velocity: 900-2400m/s

Complex intake
No static thrust (has to be
boosted up to speed)

Sea Dart
Mechanically simple, reliable
cheap & tolerant of high
temperatures.
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