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Each turbine in a gas turbine engine has an operating map. Complete maps are either based on turbine rig test results or are predicted by a special computer program. Alternatively, the map of a similar turbine can be suitably scaled.
A turbine map [1] shows lines of percent corrected speed (based on a reference value) plotted against the x-axis which is pressure ratio, but deltaH/T (roughly proportional to temperature drop across the unit/component entry temperature) is also often used. The y-axis is some measure of flow, usually non-dimensional flow or corrected flow, but not actual flow. Sometimes the axes of a turbine map are transposed, to be consistent with those of a compressor map. As in this case, a companion plot, showing the variation of isentropic (i.e. adiabatic) or polytropic efficiency, is often also included.
The turbine may be a transonic unit, where the throat Mach number reaches sonic conditions and the turbine becomes truly choked. Consequently, there is virtually no variation in flow between the corrected speed lines at high pressure ratios.
Most turbines however, are subsonic devices, the highest Mach number at the NGV throat being about 0.85. Under these conditions, there is a slight scatter in flow between the percent corrected speed lines in the 'choked' region of the map, where the flow for a given speed reaches a plateau.
Unlike a compressor (or fan), surge (or stall) does not occur in a turbine. This is because the gas flows through the unit in its natural direction, from high to low pressure. Consequently there is no surge line marked on a turbine map.
Working lines are difficult to see on a conventional turbine map because the speed lines bunch up. The map may be replotted, with the y-axis being the multiple of flow and corrected speed. This separates the speed lines, enabling working lines (and efficiency contours) to be cross-plotted and clearly seen.
The following discussion relates to the expansion system of a 2 spool, high bypass ratio, unmixed, turbofan.
On the RHS is a typical primary (i.e. hot) nozzle map (or characteristic). Its appearance is similar to that of a turbine map, but it lacks any (rotational) speed lines. Note that at high flight speeds (ignoring the change in altitude), the hot nozzle is usually in, or close to, a choking condition. This is because the ram rise in the air intake factors-up the nozzle pressure ratio. At static (e.g. SLS) conditions there is no ram rise, so the nozzle tends to operate unchoked (LHS of plot).
The low pressure turbine 'sees' the variation in flow capacity of the primary nozzle. A falling nozzle flow capacity tends to reduce the LP turbine pressure ratio (and deltaH/T). As the left hand map shows, initially the reduction in LP turbine deltaH/T has little effect upon the entry flow of the unit. Eventually, however, the LP turbine unchokes, causing the flow capacity of the LP turbine to start to decrease.
As long as the LP turbine remains choked, there is no significant change in HP turbine pressure ratio (or deltaH/T) and flow. Once, however, the LP turbine unchokes, the HP turbine deltaH/T starts to decrease. Eventually the HP turbine unchokes, causing its flow capacity to start to fall. Ground Idle is often reached shortly after HPT unchoke.
A jet engine is a type of reaction engine, discharging a fast-moving jet of heated gas that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition may include rocket, water jet, and hybrid propulsion, the term jet engine typically refers to an internal combustion air-breathing jet engine such as a turbojet, turbofan, ramjet, pulse jet, or scramjet. In general, jet engines are internal combustion engines.
A turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a combination of the preceding generation engine technology of the turbojet, and a reference to the additional fan stage added. It consists of a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanical energy from combustion, and a ducted fan that uses the mechanical energy from the gas turbine to force air rearwards. Thus, whereas all the air taken in by a turbojet passes through the combustion chamber and turbines, in a turbofan some of that air bypasses these components. A turbofan thus can be thought of as a turbojet being used to drive a ducted fan, with both of these contributing to the thrust.
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. The compressed air from the compressor is heated by burning fuel in the combustion chamber and then allowed to expand through the turbine. The turbine exhaust is then expanded in the propelling nozzle where it is accelerated to high speed to provide thrust. Two engineers, Frank Whittle in the United Kingdom and Hans von Ohain in Germany, developed the concept independently into practical engines during the late 1930s.
A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe.
Centrifugal compressors, sometimes called impeller compressors or radial compressors, are a sub-class of dynamic axisymmetric work-absorbing turbomachinery.
The Pratt & Whitney J58 is an American jet engine that powered the Lockheed A-12, and subsequently the YF-12 and the SR-71 aircraft. It was an afterburning turbojet engine with a unique compressor bleed to the afterburner that gave increased thrust at high speeds. Because of the wide speed range of the aircraft, the engine needed two modes of operation to take it from stationary on the ground to 2,000 mph (3,200 km/h) at altitude. It was a conventional afterburning turbojet for take-off and acceleration to Mach 2 and then used permanent compressor bleed to the afterburner above Mach 2. The way the engine worked at cruise led it to be described as "acting like a turboramjet". It has also been described as a turboramjet based on incorrect statements describing the turbomachinery as being completely bypassed.
A propelling nozzle is a nozzle that converts the internal energy of a working gas into propulsive force; it is the nozzle, which forms a jet, that separates a gas turbine, or gas generator, from a jet engine.
An axial compressor is a gas compressor that can continuously pressurize gases. It is a rotating, airfoil-based compressor in which the gas or working fluid principally flows parallel to the axis of rotation, or axially. This differs from other rotating compressors such as centrifugal compressor, axi-centrifugal compressors and mixed-flow compressors where the fluid flow will include a "radial component" through the compressor.
Variable-geometry turbochargers (VGTs), occasionally known as variable-nozzle turbochargers (VNTs), are a type of turbochargers, usually designed to allow the effective aspect ratio of the turbocharger to be altered as conditions change. This is done with the use of adjustable vanes located inside the turbine housing between the inlet and turbine, these vanes affect flow of gases towards the turbine. The benefit of the VGT is that the optimum aspect ratio at low engine speeds is very different from that at high engine speeds.
A compressor map is a chart which shows the performance of a turbomachinery compressor. This type of compressor is used in gas turbine engines, for supercharging reciprocating engines and for industrial processes, where it is known as a dynamic compressor. A map is created from compressor rig test results or predicted by a special computer program. Alternatively the map of a similar compressor can be suitably scaled. This article is an overview of compressor maps and their different applications and also has detailed explanations of maps for a fan and intermediate and high-pressure compressors from a three-shaft aero-engine as specific examples.
Choked flow is a compressible flow effect. The parameter that becomes "choked" or "limited" is the fluid velocity.
A jet engine performs by converting fuel into thrust. How well it performs is an indication of what proportion of its fuel goes to waste. It transfers heat from burning fuel to air passing through the engine. In doing so it produces thrust work when propelling a vehicle but a lot of the fuel is wasted and only appears as heat. Propulsion engineers aim to minimize the degradation of fuel energy into unusable thermal energy. Increased emphasis on performance improvements for commercial airliners came in the 1970s from the rising cost of fuel.
As the name suggests, gas turbine engine compressors provide the compression part of the gas turbine engine thermodynamic cycle. There are three basic categories of gas turbine engine compressor: axial compressor, centrifugal compressor and mixed flow compressor. A fourth, unusual, type is the free-piston gas generator, which combines the functions of compressor and combustion chamber in one unit.
The Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 was an Anglo-French turbojet with reheat, which powered the supersonic airliner Concorde. It was initially a joint project between Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited (BSEL) and Snecma, derived from the Bristol Siddeley Olympus 22R engine. Rolls-Royce Limited acquired BSEL in 1966 during development of the engine, making BSEL the Bristol Engine Division of Rolls-Royce.
This article briefly describes the components and systems found in jet engines.
An airbreathing jet engine is a jet engine in which the exhaust gas which supplies jet propulsion is atmospheric air, which is taken in, compressed, heated, and expanded back to atmospheric pressure through a propelling nozzle. Compression may be provided by a gas turbine, as in the original turbojet and newer turbofan, or arise solely from the ram pressure of the vehicle's velocity, as with the ramjet and pulsejet.
Compressor characteristic is a mathematical curve that shows the behaviour of a fluid going through a dynamic compressor. It shows changes in fluid pressure, temperature, entropy, flow rate etc.) with the compressor operating at different speeds.
An axial turbine is a turbine in which the flow of the working fluid is parallel to the shaft, as opposed to radial turbines, where the fluid runs around a shaft, as in a watermill. An axial turbine has a similar construction as an axial compressor, but it operates in the reverse, converting flow of the fluid into rotating mechanical energy.
A variable pitch fan is similar in concept to that of a variable-pitch propeller and involves progressively reducing the pitch of the fan on a turbofan as the engine is throttled. Although variable pitch fans are used in some industrial applications, the focus of this article is on their use in turbofan engines. No production engine uses such a feature; however, it will likely be required on at least some of the next generation of high bypass ratio turbofans.
The General Electric Affinity was a turbofan developed by GE Aviation for supersonic transports. Conceived in May 2017 to power the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet, initial design was completed in 2018 and detailed design in 2020 for the first prototype production. GE Aviation discontinued development of the engine in May 2021. Its high-pressure core is derived from the CFM56, matched to a new twin fan low-pressure section for a reduced bypass ratio better suited to supersonic flight.