How Does a Jet Engine Work

In 1903, the Wright brothers constructed and flew the first working airplane, a biplane glider that was powered by a motor driven propeller. Since then, we have made great advancements in aircraft designs with modern jet engines making air travel vastly more accessible and practical, interconnecting people from across the world. These engines create thrust by taking in a large amount of air and expelling it as a powerful jet of gas. For a more in-depth look at jet engines, read on as we discuss the various parts and the cycle that connects them.

Though jet engines come in a variety of types, they all include a set of essential parts which allow for the above process to take place. As air passes into the engine, the first component it meets is the intake fan. Consisting of many rotating blades, each in the shape of a small wing, the intake fan sucks in a great amount of air to be passed through the compressor. Once in the compressor, the air is thrown around and squeezed through tight spaces in a centrifugal turbine system that gets progressively smaller to effectively pressurize the air. This is an important step in the process because pressured air will have the maximal amount of oxygen atoms in a certain amount of space. The more oxygen there is in the collection of air at once, the more efficiently and effectively it will burn.

Following its trip through the compressor, the air exits to the combustion chamber where it is mixed with a precise amount of jet fuel that is sprayed in a fine mist by high-powered fuel injector nozzles. As the air has already been heated by the friction of the rotating blades in the compressor, a spark is all that is needed to ignite the gas-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Then, propelled by the explosive force of expanding gas, a large turbine at the back of the engine is rapidly spun to add to the intensity of thrust as well as to power the intake fan to pull in more air. This process can either happen directly from the exhaust pushing against the fan blades, like blowing on a pinwheel, or can be driven mechanically by piston and crankshaft.

Aside from the major moving parts mentioned above, jet engines heavily rely on durable casings and fasteners that hold it together and ensure a seamless propulsion cycle. In addition, the spark plugs in a jet engine are not powered by the engine itself, but rather by an independent dual-magneto ignition system. Relying on electromagnetic power, magneto-ignition systems use a rotating magnet and induction coils to create a voltage spike that is just high enough to power all the spark plugs in the engines. Aircraft typically utilize dual magneto systems for safety so that if one magneto fails in flight, the other can keep the engines running with only a slight decrease in efficiency.

Jet engines were a major game-changer in aviation from the time they were introduced, and since then, we have only continued to improve their overall efficiency and design. Here on Alpha Purchasing, we offer an array of jet engines at the top of their class, alongside other quality aircraft parts. We are proudly an AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B accredited enterprise, meaning that we go to great lengths to uphold a high standard of service and quality for our customers. If you are currently on the search for reliable aircraft parts, we invite you to browse our online catalog of available products and make use of our Instant RFQ service to receive competitive quotes for your comparisons. Our team of experts is available 24/7x365 to answer customer inquiries and requests and will reply to RFQ forms in just 15 minutes or less!

1. john stark
2. Posted on September 23, 2022
aviation

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