Aerospace Propulsion

AERE-4110

Previous offerings

Fall 2024, F'23, F'22, F'17, F'16, Sp'16, F'15, F'14, F'13

Course Objectives

Aerospace vehicles (aircraft, helicopters, rockets, etc.) all require some means to propel them forward. All of these rely on Newton’s third law to achieve propulsion . . . push something (typically air) back to get forward momentum increase. Propulsion devices can be categorized as air-breathing engines and rocket engines. Air-breathing propulsion, of course, is limited to operation within the earth’s atmosphere but is much more efficient. Most aircraft and helicopters, therefore, rely on air-breathing propulsors (typically gas turbines). A majority of the course will, therefore, focus on gas turbines. This course will provide fundamental principles of gas turbine and rocket engines. Basic aero-thermodynamic performance analysis of such propulsors, as well as their individual components, will be taught. Such analysis, called “cycle” analysis will be covered for both ideal- as well as non-ideal performance. How the different components of a gas turbine work together to provide propulsion will be discussed. Most of the focus will be on design operation; off-design analysis will only be touched upon.

Outcomes

On completion of the course the attentive student will understand:

• The basic principles of aircraft propulsion devices (propulsors)
• Rockets and ramjet principles
• How to perform ideal, non-ideal, and off-design “cycle” (thermodynamic) analysis of propulsors
• How to analyze the performance of various components of a jet engine: inlet, compressor, combustor, turbine, and nozzle

Syllabus

• Review of thermodynamics and gas dynamics
• Engine component analyses: inlet, compressor, combustor, turbine, nozzle
• Ideal cycle analysis
• Turbojet
• Ramjet
• Afterburning turbojet
• Turbofans - separate and mixed streams
• Basic rocket analysis
• Non-ideal cycle analysis
• Off-design analysis
• Special topics (time permitting)

Textbook and reading mtl.

The suggested reading materials include the following.

• Oates, G. C. (1997). Aerothermodynamics of gas turbine and rocket propulsion (3rd ed.). AIAA. (textbook: not required)
• Cumpsty, N. A. (2003). Jet Propulsion: A simple guide to the aerodynamic and thermodynamic design and performance of jet engines (Second). Cambridge University Press.
• Mattingly, J. D., & von Ohain, H. (1996). Elements of gas turbine propulsion. McGraw-Hill New York.
• Hill, P. G., & Peterson, C. R. (1992). Mechanics and thermodynamics of propulsion. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
• Farokhi, S. (2021). Aircraft Propulsion: Cleaner, Leaner, and Greener. John Wiley & Sons.

Lecture videos

• Week 1
  • Lecture 1. Introduction and logistics; Newton’s laws and propulsion systems
  • Lecture 2. The “gas generator” and its variants; thermodynamic cycles; how to select a propulsor
  • Lecture 3. Revision of Thermodynamics: 1st law; example problems
• Week 2
  • Lecture 4. Thermodynamics: example problems
  • Lecture 5. Reynolds transport theorem; conservation laws - mass and momentum
  • Lecture 6. Conservation of energy; Quasi-1D flow
• Week 3
  • Lecture 7. No class
  • Lecture 8. Components in a GT; Ideal and real inlet/diffuser
  • Lecture 9. GT components: Ideal/real compressor; ideal/real combustor and pressure loss
• Week 4
  • Lecture 10. No class; quiz/assessment in class
  • Lecture 11. R-L flow review; total pressure loss in R-L flow; example problem
  • Lecture 12. Ideal turbojet; engine thrust; solution strategy
• Week 5
  • Lecture 13. Ideal turbojet - specific thrust, T-S map
  • Lecture 14. Ideal turbojet - solution strategy; power balance
  • Lecture 15. Max thrust turbojet; solution properties
• Week 6
  • Lecture 16. Ideal turbojet example problem
  • Lecture 17. Ramjet with a compressor
  • Lecture 18. Rocket engines - review of Quasi-1D nozzle flow
• Week 7
  • Lecture 19. Rocket engines - thrust, Cf; variable-geometry nozzles; Summerfield criterion
  • Lecture 20. Rocket engines - example problems
  • Lecture 21. Rocket engines - example problems continued
• Week 8
  • Lecture 22. Afterburning turbojet
  • Lecture 23. No class. In-class quiz.
  • Lecture 24. Afterburning turbojet example problem
• Week 9
  • Lecture 26. Off-design analysis - area scheduling
  • Lecture 27. Review for the midterm
  • Lecture 28. No class. Mid-term exam.
• Week 10
  • Lecture 29. Component matching (nozzle and turbine)
  • Lecture 30. Compressor map; operating line; example problem
  • Lecture 31. No class.
• Week 11
  • Lecture 31. Ideal turbofan engines - engines for Boeing 777; separate stream turbofan; T-S maps
  • Lecture 32. Separate stream turbofan - example problem
  • Lecture 33. Separate stream turbofan - more examples
• Week 12
  • Lecture 34. Separate stream turbofan - more examples
  • Lecture 35. Mixed stream turbofan; advantages of mixing
  • Lecture 37. No class. In-class quiz.
• Week 13
  • Lecture 37. Mixed stream turbofan example problems
  • Lecture 38. Non-ideal analysis - diffusers
  • Lecture 39. Non-ideal compression; adiabatic/isentropic and polytropic efficiencies
• Week 14
  • Lecture 40. Non-ideal burning and expansion; efficiencies
  • Lecture 41. Non-ideal expansion; total-to-total and total-to-static efficiencies; why use diffusers in power generation machines
  • Lecture 42. No class. In-class quiz.
• Week 15
  • Lecture 43. Example problems - efficiencies
  • Lecture 44. Review - 1
  • Lecture 45. Review - 2. Not recorded.