Conceptual Aircraft Design

12Aircraft Power Plant and Integration

12.1 Overview

The engine may be considered to be the heart of any powered aircraft as a system. For its importance, this largish topic is divided in two chapters; this one gives the fundamentals of the associated theories and installation details when integrated with aircraft. The next Chapter 13 deals purely with engine performances, without which aircraft performance analyses cannot progress; it includes uninstalled and installed thrust/power and fuel flow data of various types of engines. Propeller theory performance and thrust developed by propellers are also included in Chapter 13.

This chapter starts with a brief introduction to engine evolutionary past, followed by classification of the types of engines available and their domain of application, some fundamentals of engine theory, installation details, nacelles and thrust reversers (TRs). Primarily, this chapter deals with gas turbines (both jet and propeller‐driven) and to a lesser extent piston engines, which are used only in small general aviation aircraft).

The chapter covers the following:

• Section 12.2: Background Information on aircraft Engines and Their Classification
• Section 12.3: Definitions Required in this Chapter
• Section 12.4: Introduces Types of Aircraft Engines to be Used in this Book
• Section 12.5: Gas Turbine Engine Cycles
• Section 12.6: Theories Involved to Analyse Engine Performance
• Section 12.7: Considerations Required for Engine Integration with Aircraft
• Section ...