Types Of Jet Engines

I instantly associate the phrase "jet" and "jet engine" with fighter planes and commercial aircraft, but did you know there are several distinct types of jet engines, each with a somewhat different operation? Let us examine these many engines.

Turbofan

Turbofan jet engines power the majority of medium- to large-sized commercial aircraft, so chances are you've encountered a couple. The purpose of the fan blades of a turbofan engine is to compress air, which is then mixed with fuel and ignited in the combustion chamber. The airplane moves forward due to the rapidly expanding gases being expelled by the engine's back.

Turboprop

Smaller commuter planes with shorter connection times are frequently equipped with turboprop engines. Like turbojet engines, turboprop engines operate by compressing air through a fan, combining it with fuel, and lighting it. The main distinction is that instead of producing an air stream for propulsion, the quickly expanding gas produced after ignition is used to spin a turbine, which powers the propeller attached to the front of the aircraft.

Turbojet

The four stages of a turbojet engine are the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. Additionally, a turbojet engine consists of two sections: the cold segment and the hot section. Before entering the combustion chamber in the cold section, the air is drawn in by the fans, compressed, and combined with fuel before the constant flame ignites. After being ignited, the fuel/air mixture is driven across the turbine at the back of the engine, which powers the first compression stage.

Turboshaft

Like other jet engines, a turboshaft engine rotates a shaft using the rapidly expanding air/fuel mixture as a type of propulsion rather than producing thrust. These engines power certain helicopters in the aviation industry. The compressor takes in air, compresses it, and blends it with fuel. The compressed air is ignited and forced through the free turbine, turning the power shaft.

Ramjet

Consider a spacecraft. Ramjet engines function by ramming air into a jet at high speeds; they have no moving parts. The air compression relies on forward speed because it does not have the rotating components of a turbojet. Because of the nature of these engines, the ramjet-equipped aircraft needs assistance from another aircraft to pull it quickly enough to start producing helpful thrust during takeoff.