Questions tagged [propulsion]
Questions about the various methods used to propel aircraft.
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Are ducted fans more efficient?
As far as static thrust, does a shrouded/ducted propeller outperform an un-shrouded propeller? It seems that the guide blades on the bottom of the duct would allow little more thrust to be extracted ...
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Why are the top speeds for jet engines higher than for propellers?
I realize turbines are more efficient than piston engines, but if that were true, then why don't turbo-props reach jet speeds?
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Why is max endurance different for jet and props?
Max endurance speed is not the same for gliders, propeller planes (also for turbo prop, right?) and jet planes.
While for for jet planes max endurance is at the minimum drag speed ($V_{md}$), for ...
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Could a Dyson fan scale up to be used as a bladeless aircraft engine?
Dyson has been making bladeless fans for a few years now that accelerate a consistent stream of air without exposed blades.
If this concept were applied to aircraft engines, it could potentially ...
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What are the mass flow rate and exhaust velocity for a CF6 or GE90 turbofan?
For a typical turbofan jet engine (two examples given in the title), what is the exhaust velocity and mass flow rate of air at sea level and cruising altitude (~ FL350)?
Also, does the specific ...
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Why is thrust said to be constant over speed for a jet engine?
I'm just interested in some basic facts regarding flight. On reading the rather "low level" book "Understanding Flight, David F. Anderson, Scott Eberhardt), I recently came up to the ...
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What do I need to know to design contra rotating propellers for a powered paraglider?
I wonder if anyone has any technical information that would assist in using the correct Size & Pitch Contra rotating Propellers (CRP) on this Foot launched Powered Paraglider engine ?
We are ...
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How does turbojet thrust change with altitude?
I am studying the rate of climb of turbojets, I don't know how the thrust varies with altitude and in particular which are the differences between necessary thrust and effective thrust.
Hope being ...
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What is a biplane propeller and how efficient is it?
Lazair ultralight series II used biplane props to absorb more power from the engine....so my question is what really is a biplane propeller and are they efficient in comparison to a four bladed prop?
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How much thrust is gained from placing a propeller in a duct?
Assuming that the power and diameter are the same, how much extra thrust can be gained by placing a propeller in a duct? How does it influence the RPM?
To clarify: take any prop, place it in a well-...
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Would it be feasible for a typical passenger jet to carry along its own Oxidizer?
We know that many Space Shuttles / Rockets etc. carry their own oxidizer with them. This is partly because at the heights they operate the atmosphere is too rarefied to have enough oxygen to sustain ...
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Why does the diffuser section generate thrust in a jet engine?
I am studying the thrust distribution of jet engines.
But I'm now a bit confused.
In Rolls-Royce's "The Jet Engine" book,
http://aeromodelbasic.blogspot.com/2012/05/thrust-distribution-distribution-...
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How is mass flow rate computed?
I have been wondering how the mass flow rate is determined by the area of the engine air intake surface and the incoming speed of the air.
In still air, it is understandable that a stationary engine ...
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why some airplanes have their exhaust gases vectored above the wing?
I was looking at images of the SkyCourier shown below
and i have noticed the asymmetrical exhaust pipes in both engines (one pointing up and one is straight), doing my research on the internet, i ...
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When is jet engine thrust maximum?
Assuming we have a convergent nozzle I've read that the maximum thrust is achieved just in the moment the nozzle exit -minimum area- is chocked, i.e., the nozzle is adapted in the sense the pressure ...
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Why aren't tilting propellers used as an alternative for ailerons or elevators?
I was wondering what are the reasons for not using tilted propellers fixed to ailerons/elevators/elevons? Or even on wings with no control surfaces at all? Wouldn't the 2nd way of thrust vectoring ...
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Does jet engine exhaust velocity relative to itself remain constant despite speed changes?
Maybe this is a stupid question.
I seem to have been told, the velocity of the exhaust leaving an airbreathing jet engine relative to the engine, is constant despite changes in airspeed. However, to ...
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Are fixed wing aircraft with gimbal thrust feasible?
Elon Musk has suggested that he'd look at implementing VTOL electric aircraft with a "gimballed thrust" system similar to the one used in rockets.
Aircraft have all these unnecessary things like ...
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How did Wilbur Wright create and use the formulas he mentions in his letter to Octave Chanute?
In a letter written by Wilbur Wright and addressed to Octave Chanute, dated 1903/06/18, I have found two things that I do not quite understand.
Our engine develops at the brake 15.6 horse power and ...
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How does the nozzle diameter affect the thrust of a ducted propeller?
I currently do some experiments with ducted propellers in which I try to figure out which effect a nozzle has on the thrust produced.
My theory goes like this: If I reduce the exit diameter of the ...
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How does the load transfer from a prop to the airframe?
I was just watching this video...
Restoration and startup of a Wright 1820 Cyclone
...and it got me thinking: a propeller shoves back air, and this creates a forward force on the prop. The prop ...
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What are the relative efficiencies of the various stages of a counter rotating propeller?
After going through the CFD results of a drone project I am involved in, I noticed that the data shows significantly increased (+10%) thrust generation at the second stage of a counter-rotating, 2-...
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Is it possible for a ramjet to start from 0 velocity?
I was wondering if it is possible for a ramjet to start from 0 velocity.
I know its working principle and all, but is there any missile or aircraft that completely uses ramjet, with no rotating part ...
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Is the Meredith effect utilized in the cowling design of air-cooled engines?
The P-51 is famous for its advanced-for-its-time aerodynamics, the prime example of which is the radiator design under the belly which utilizes the Meredith effect to, in effect, turn it into a mini ...
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Why wasn't a scramjet used for the Concorde?
Why didn't Concorde use a scramjet engine for supersonic flight, but it is used in the Airbus and Skreemr hypersonic flight concepts to achieve supersonic speeds?
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In what way are the airfoils used for a propeller different from the ones used in turbofan engine?
Airfoils are used in the blades of a propeller as well as the blades of the fan, axial compressor and turbine in a turbofan engine. Thus, the airfoils used in above two applications have different ...
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Are there any aircraft powered by tip jets in the propeller blade?
I am familiar with tip jet powered helicopter experiments. Is there any aircraft that use/used this mode and would it be useful to use a tip jet driven prop on aircraft instead of piston or turbine ...
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How does one determine the freestream and ultimate slipstream velocities to estimate thrust?
The task before me is estimating the thrust of a propulsion system (a ducted fan) using this equation for thrust (Eq. 2.1.1)1:
$$T = (mass\; flow\; rate)\;(slipstream\; velocity - freestream\; ...
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Can thrust be produced only using the forward speed of a nozzle?
Why can't a nozzle that is already in relative motion to the air produce thrust by speeding up the air that passes through inside it?
So let's pretend you're in a glider with two converging nozzles (...
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