Jet Propulsion and Compressor Design

NASA's X-43A

Keith Larson
IC Engines and Propulsions Systems
Spring 2005
Professor
Dr. Chiang Shih
 Fluid Machinery

Positive Displacement Dynamic

• Working fluid is confined • Working fluid is not confine
within a boundary. within a boundary.
•Energy transfer is by volume • Energy transfer is by dynamic
changes due to the effects of the rotor on
movement of the the fluid stream.
boundary.
 Dynamic Machine
A.K.A. Turbomachines

* Radial-Flow - Also called Centrifugal.

- Radial flow path.
- Large change in radius
from inlet to outlet.

* Axial-Flow - Flow path nearly parallel

to the axis of rotation.
- Radius of the flow path
does not very significantly.

* Mixed-Flow - Flow path radius changes

only moderately.
 Turbomachines that extract energy from the fluid stream

Turbines
Turbines use Vanes, Blades, or Buckets attached to the
turbine shaft.
This assembly is called the Rotor, Wheel, or Runner.
Bourn, Cambridgeshire, England

Colvin Run Mill

near Dranesville,
Virginia
 Turbine Classifications
* Hydraulic Turbines - The working fluid is WATER.
- Flow is incompressible.
* Gas and Steam Turbines - Density of the working fluid
may change significantly.

Further Classification

• Impulse Turbines - Driven by one or more high-speed free jets.

- Each jet is accelerated in an external nozzle.
- Fluid acceleration and pressure drop is
external to the blades.
• Reaction Turbines - Part of the pressure change takes place
externally and part takes place within
the moving blades.
The turbine extracts
energy from the fluid
stream and converts it
into mechanical energy,
which is then transmitted
through a shaft to some
load.

The Steam Turbine Generator

Satsop Development Park
Or the load could be a compressor
within a Turbocharger for an
automobile, or a compressor in a jet
engine.
 Turbomachines that add energy to the fluid stream

∗ Pump - when the fluid is a liquid or a slurry.

• Very small to very large pressure rise.
• Rotating element is called an impeller.

∗ Fans, Blowers, or Compressors when handling a gas or a vapor.

• Fans - generally have a small pressure rise (< 1 inch water)

• Blowers - moderate pressure rise (1 inch of mercury)
• Compressors - very high pressure rise (up to 150,000 psi)
 Jet Propulsion Principle (Thrust)

Pa Po Ai

Pa
T=Ai(po-pa)
T Po

T: Thrust
Pa
T Po Pa: Ambient Pressure
ue
Po: Internal Pressure
Steady-Flow
ue: Exit Velocity
Pa

.
T Po
ua
T=mua ua: Mass-average Exhaust Velocity
Thrust per Unit Energy Consumption (Rocket vs. Propeller)

Engine
u ue

Acceleration of a stream of air through a Propeller

Propeller Thrust Ratio

. E
.
.  ma uc
2
ua
− 
2
T=ma(ue-u)
ηe  2 2

2 ⋅η e Assume a best thermal

.
2
T ≅ ue + u
E
efficiency of 40%, the
maximum possible value of
propeller thrust ratio becomes.
.
T ≅ 5u
E
 Rocket
2
u er
• u
T≅ m • m•p⋅
p er E≅ 2

2
T• ≅ uer2 Rocket
E Thrust Ratio

Estimate ratio of propeller and rocket

thrusts
u er 1000
Tpropeller 5u Assume that the Tpropeller
≅ ≅ u
rocket exhaust
Trocket Trocket
velocity is 5000m/s.
 Summary of Propeller and Rocket Thrust

⇒For Aircraft propulsion the big advantage of using a propeller is

that less fuel must be carried on board.
• The rate of airflow through the propeller can be as much as
three orders of magnitude larger than the rate of fuel
consumption of the driving engine.

⇒Propulsion using a propeller has much better efficiency when

compared to propulsion with a rocket.
• The aircraft using a propeller can travel much greater
distances before having to refuel.
 Propeller Theory
Air Velocity (u)
Air Motion
Axis of Blade Speed (Ut)
Rotation
w1t
u Relative Approach
Velocity (w1t )
Ut Relative Leaving
Velocity (w2t )
Blade Motion
u Swirling Velocity (uθ )
Axial Component of
w2t Leaving Velocity (ue)
Dβ ue
u
w1t c2 Leaving Velocity (c2)
Ut
Turning Angle (∆ β )
 Limitation of the Propeller in Propulsion

In order to maintain good flow over the blade certain

conditions must be meet.
1. The relative approach angle and the blade leading
edge angle must be close to prevent flow
separation from the blade.
2. The turning angle must be keep quite small, or the
flow will also separate from the blade.
3. The relative approach velocity must not be too
close to the speed of sound. This is to prevent
shock waves from forming on the blade.

Thus conventional propellers are used for flight speeds well below
the speed of sound; usually at or below 135 m/s (300 mph).
 Air
Axis Blade speed too high
Motion w1t
u Flight speed too slow
Ut Operating outside of design
parameters
Blade
Motion

Axis Air
Motion w1t
Poor design: Turning angle u
is too large Ut
Blade
Motion
 The Importance of the Compressor/Turbine in Modern Flight

It was not until 1939 that a compressor, combuster, and turbine

were coupled together to create the first turbo engine for aircraft
propulsion.

Air Inlet Exhaust

Gas Out
1. The turbine engine made supersonic flight possible in aircraft
2. Reduced the cost of air travel.
3. Lead to great improvements in aircraft safety.
 Turboprop

Allison T56 Turboshaft

 Turbofan

General Electric CF6 Turbofan

 Turbojet

General Electric J79 Turbojet with Afterburner

 Turbo Engine Comparison
Turboprop Turbofan Turbojet
• Medium-speed • Internal Propeller • High speed
•Moderate-size craft • Supersonic speeds • Mach 4
•High efficiency • High bypass airflow • Low airflow rate
•Limited flight speed • Med/High efficiency • Low efficiency
•Geared transmission • No gearbox • High op temps
NOTE: Due to the ram compression due to flight speed, the optimum
compressor pressure ratio (CPR) goes to zero around Mach 4.
CPR 30:1 for subsonic flight.
CPR 10:1 @ Mach 2.
Compressor not needed at Mach 4; Ramjet.
 Comparison of the Axial-Flow and Radial-Flow Compressors

Axial-Flow compressors do not significantly change the direction of

the flow stream, thus Axial-Flow Compressor allows for multiple
stages. Radial-Flow Compressors can not be staged.
While the Radial-Flow Compressor has a larger Compressor
Pressure Ratio (CPR) per stage, the multi-stages of the Axial-Flow
compressor allows for a larger overall CPR.
The frontal area for a given air flow rate is smaller for an Axial-
Flow Compressor than for a Radial-Flow Compressor.
The Axial-Flow Compressor has a higher efficiency.
Disadvantages are the higher cost to manufacture the Axial-Flow
Compressor, and the Radial-flow Compressor is more durable than
the Axial-Flow Compressor.
 Example Problem
Given a first single stage of an Axial Compressor with the following
conditions: ambient pressure (Pin ) 1 atmosphere, ambient
temperature (Tin ) 300K, aircraft cruising speed (Vin ) 170m/s, median
blade diameter (D) 0.5m, rotor rpm (Urotor ) 8000rpm, turning angle
(∆ β ) 15 degrees, specific heat ratio (γ ) 1.4, air mass flow rate
(mdot ) 35kg/s, and (Cp) conversion factor 1004 m2/s2*K, calculate the
first stage Compressor Pressure Ratio (CPR).
m
Pin := 1atm Tin := 300K Vin := 170 D := .5m
s
2
m
Urotor 8000rpm ∆ β:= 15deg γ := 1.4 Cp := 1004
2
s ⋅K
kg
kg := 1000gm mdot := 35
s
 Step 1.
W1
Vin β1 Create the velocity triangle
and calculate the relative
U speed of the rotor blade from
the rotational velocity.
Blade motion
D 2⋅ π
U := ⋅ ⋅ 8000
U rω 2 60⋅ s
m
U = 209.44
s
W x := −U m
W x = −209.44
s
 Step 2.
W1
Vin β1
Calculate the air to blade
relative velocity and the
U angle between the relative
and actual air speed.
m
2 2
W 1 = 269.75
W 1 := Wx + Vin s

W x 
β 1 := atan  
V
 in 
β 1 = −50.934 deg
 Step 3.
Axial velocity (Vin ) does not change.
W2 Calculate relative exit angle(β 2), then
β2
Vin portion of the relative blade speed
(Uw2 ). Calculate relative air speed (W2)
U w2

V in
β 2 := β 1 + ∆ β ( 2)
U w2 := V in⋅ tan β W 2 :=
( )
cos β 2

m m
β 2 = −35.934deg U w2 = −123.214 W 2 = 209.956
s s
 Step 4.
Calculate the portion of the relative
V2 W2 blade speed associated with the actual
β2
Vin air velocity (Uv2 ), the calculate the
actual air speed (V2).
U v2 U w2

m
Uv2 := W x − Uw2 Uv2 = −86.226
s
2 2 m
V2 := Vin + Uv2 V2 = 190.617
s
The Compressor Pressure γ
γ −1
Ratio (CPR) is found from P o2  T o2 
 
the isentropic relationship. P o1 T
 o1 

To1 is calculated from the following equation.

To2 has to be calculated from the specific work
of the compressor stage.
2
Vin
To1 := Tin +
2⋅Cp To1 = 314.392 K
 Specific work of the stage is
Tshaft⋅ ω
calculated from the torque of the wstage
shaft, angular velocity of the blade, mdot
and mass flow rate of the air.
D
Tshaft := mdot⋅ ⋅ ( Uv1 − Uv2)
Torque of the shaft is: 2
Uv1 0
m Tshaft = 754.476 J
s

No initial tangential component 

Power := Tshaft⋅ 
2⋅ π 
⋅ 8000
to the inlet velocity.
 60⋅ s 
Power = 632.068 kW
Power of the shaft is:
 Power J
wstage := 4
wstage = 1.806× 10
Specific work of mdot kg
the stage is then:

Now To2 can be calculated from the specific work

To1, and the conversion factor.

wstage
To2 := To1 + To2 = 332.38K
Cp
γ
γ −1
 To2 
CPR :=
Finally, the Compressor Pressure Ratio can be
calculated!!!
wstage
To2 := To1 +
Cp
γ
γ −1
 To2 
CPR :=  
 To1  is:
The answer
CPR = 1.215
 The engines on the blackbird
are turbojets and are used as
such up to about Mach 4; when
the air flow is bypassed around
the compressor and the engines
become ramjets.

Lockhead SR-71 Blackbird

 NASA X-43A

This is where we are today. The X-43A is an

experimental aircraft that uses a scramjet (supersonic
ramjet) for its propulsion. The X-43A has reach speeds
of about Mach 10.