Gas turbine engines date back to the early 1940's. Sir Frank Wittle, a British aeronautical engineer and aviator, invented the turbojet engine (The World Almanac Educational Group, 2002, p. 1). Gas turbine engines took off, and have been soaring ever since. They offer an unmatched power to weight ratio, which make them ideal for many applications. This essay will describe the process of a gas turbine engine, as well as explain some new advances and futuristic technologies associated with GTE's, by answering the following questions:
1. What exactly is a gas turbine engine?
2. How is a gas turbine engine different from a reciprocating engine?
3. What are some new advances with gas turbine engines?
4. What is the future for gas turbine engines?
What exactly is a gas turbine engine?
Turbine engines are used in aircraft and on boats. Some smaller gas turbine engines are even used to produce electrical power, drive pumps, and generate steam. "Turbine engines are relatively simple, at least insofar as their parts count is concerned. And they are also tough and reliable, so they rarely fail in any circumstances" (Aarons, 2001, p. 52). In the Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, Dale Crane defines a gas turbine engine as:
An internal combustion engine that burns its fuel in a constant-pressure cycle. Air is taken into a gas turbine engine and compressed by either an axial flow or centrifugal compressor. The compressed air then passes into the combustion chambers where fuel is sprayed into a continuously burning fire. The burning fuel heats and expands the air. The hot air passes through a turbine, which extracts some of the energy and uses it to turn the compressor. (p. 267)
As confusing as this process sounds, there are far fewer moving parts than any other type of combusting engine. Fewer moving parts lead to fewer malfunctions, which in turn also saves money and lives.
How is a gas turbine engine different
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