GE Engine Simulator

Aerospace Industries across EU

Online Tracking of Flights

New breakthrough in Engine Design

SKYLON Technical Movie V1 from Reaction Engines Ltd on Vimeo.

Aerospace Propulsion Systems

All propulsion powerplants are based upon Newton’s 3rd law “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. In the case of aircraft propulsion the powerplant unit pushes on the air and the air pushes back on the powerplant unit. Below is the range of propulsion systems block diagram for aerospace vehicles.

These range from traditional reciprocating engines, through gas turbines, pulse jets and ram jets and finally rockets. The ordering of which is roughly in line with the translational speed at which the engine operate, with piston props at low flight speeds and ramjets and rockets operating at very high speeds and with later capable of operating in an oxygen free environment. The engine technology, which has dominated the aircraft propulsion market, is that of gas turbines and the original patent was filed by Whittle in 1930. There are various forms of gas turbine engines used in the propulsion of aircraft, however at their core is the same cycle for the creation of power. The requirements on aircraft engine design are stringent demanding high speeds and temperatures,lightweight, phenomenal reliability and low fuel consumption. Each of these requirements pulls the design of the engine in conflicting directions. The primary requirement from the engine operator is that of engine integrity rather than simple efficiency. Engines are operating for times in excess of 20000 hours between major overhauls (at which point the engine is removed from the wing, stripped down and rebuilt), and in this time it may entail upward of 10000 landing and take-off cycles. These major service intervals will be at intervals of 3 to 4 years. The reliability of gas turbine engines has reached the stage that in flight shut-downs are a relatively rare event (most pilot will never experience one in their career).