Aircraft Propulsion, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 4 Gas Turbine Engine Cycle Analysis

4.1 Introduction

Source: Reproduced with permission from Rolls-Royce plc

In this chapter, we examine the aerothermodynamics of aircraft gas turbine engines. We first start our analysis with the basic building block or the common features of any gas turbine engine, namely the gas generator. We will then construct a variety of aircraft engines employing the gas generator. These include the turbojet, the afterburning turbojet, the separate and mixed-exhaust turbofan, and the turboprop engines.

4.2 The Gas Generator

At the heart of an aircraft gas turbine engine is a gas generator. It is composed of three major components, a compressor, a burner (sometimes referred to as combustor or combustion chamber), followed by a turbine. The schematics of a gas generator and station numbers are shown in Figure 4.1. The parameters that define the physical characteristics of a gas generator are noted in Table 4.1.

TABLE 4.1 The Parameters in a Gas Generator

Compressor pressure ratio (“design” parameter) Compressor air mass flow rate (“size” parameter) ...