FUEL CONSUMPTION AND POWER-TO-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP
46. Primary engine design considerations, particu- larly for commercial transport duty, are those of low specific fuel consumption and weight. Considerable improvement has been achieved by use of the by- pass principle, and by advanced mechanical and aerodynamic features, and the use of improved materials. With the trend towards higher by-pass ratios, in the range of 15:1, the triple-spool and contra-rotating rear fan engines allow the pressure and by-pass ratios to be achieved with short rotors, using fewer compressor stages, resulting in a lighter and more compact engine.
47. S.f.c. is directly related to the thermal and propulsive efficiencies; that is, the overall efficiency of the engine. Theoretically, high thermal efficiency requires high pressures which in practice also means high turbine entry temperatures. In a pure turbo-jet engine this high temperature would result in a high jet velocity and consequently lower the propulsive efficiency (para. 40). However, by using the by-pass principle, high thermal and propulsive efficiencies can be effectively combined by bypassing a proportion of the L.P. compressor or fan delivery air to lower the mean jet temperature and velocity as referred to in para. 43. With advanced technology engines of high by-pass and overall pressure ratios, a further pronounced improvement in s.f.c. is obtained.
48. The turbines of pure jet engines are heavy because they deal with the total airflow, whereas the turbines of by-pass engines deal only with part of the flow; thus the H.P. compressor, combustion chambers and turbines, can be scaled down. The increased power per lb. of air at the turbines, to take advantage of their full capacity, is obtained by the increase in pressure ratio and turbine entry temperature. It is clear that the by-pass engine is lighter, because not only has the diameter of the high pressure rotating assemblies been reduced but the engine is shorter for a given power output. With a low by-pass ratio engine, the weight reduction compared with a pure jet engine is in the order of 20 per cent for the same air mass flow.
49. With a high by-pass ratio engine of the triple- spool configuration, a further significant improvement in specific weight is obtained- This is derived mainly from advanced mechanical and aerodynamic design, which in addition to permitting a significant reduction in the total number of parts, enables rotating assemblies to be more effectively matched and to work closer to optimum conditions, thus minimizing the number of compressor and turbine stages for a given duty. The use of higher strength light-weight materials is also a contributory factor.
50. For a given mass flow less thrust is produced by the by-pass engine due to the lower exit velocity. Thus, to obtain the same thrust, the by-pass engine must be scaled to pass a larger total mass airflow than the pure turbo-jet engine. The weight of the engine, however, is still less because of the reduced size of the H.P. section of the engine. Therefore, in addition to the reduced specific fuel consumption, an improvement in the power-to-weight ratio is obtained.
46. Primary engine design considerations, particu- larly for commercial transport duty, are those of low specific fuel consumption and weight. Considerable improvement has been achieved by use of the by- pass principle, and by advanced mechanical and aerodynamic features, and the use of improved materials. With the trend towards higher by-pass ratios, in the range of 15:1, the triple-spool and contra-rotating rear fan engines allow the pressure and by-pass ratios to be achieved with short rotors, using fewer compressor stages, resulting in a lighter and more compact engine.
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| Fig. 21-10 International Standard Atmosphere. |
48. The turbines of pure jet engines are heavy because they deal with the total airflow, whereas the turbines of by-pass engines deal only with part of the flow; thus the H.P. compressor, combustion chambers and turbines, can be scaled down. The increased power per lb. of air at the turbines, to take advantage of their full capacity, is obtained by the increase in pressure ratio and turbine entry temperature. It is clear that the by-pass engine is lighter, because not only has the diameter of the high pressure rotating assemblies been reduced but the engine is shorter for a given power output. With a low by-pass ratio engine, the weight reduction compared with a pure jet engine is in the order of 20 per cent for the same air mass flow.
49. With a high by-pass ratio engine of the triple- spool configuration, a further significant improvement in specific weight is obtained- This is derived mainly from advanced mechanical and aerodynamic design, which in addition to permitting a significant reduction in the total number of parts, enables rotating assemblies to be more effectively matched and to work closer to optimum conditions, thus minimizing the number of compressor and turbine stages for a given duty. The use of higher strength light-weight materials is also a contributory factor.
50. For a given mass flow less thrust is produced by the by-pass engine due to the lower exit velocity. Thus, to obtain the same thrust, the by-pass engine must be scaled to pass a larger total mass airflow than the pure turbo-jet engine. The weight of the engine, however, is still less because of the reduced size of the H.P. section of the engine. Therefore, in addition to the reduced specific fuel consumption, an improvement in the power-to-weight ratio is obtained.
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