Turbofan Flat Rating
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Turbofan Flat Rating
EGT is proportional to the Turbine Inlet Temperature and the TIT indicates how much energy there is to turn the Turbines and hence rotate the Compressors.
Operate the turbofan engine at a particular EGT at ISA conditions now and we get 50,000 lbs Thrust.
Years down the road, we operate it at the SAME EGT and ISA, we still get 50,000 lbs Thrust ?
Operate the turbofan engine at a particular EGT at ISA conditions now and we get 50,000 lbs Thrust.
Years down the road, we operate it at the SAME EGT and ISA, we still get 50,000 lbs Thrust ?
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Probably not; most engines deteriorate with age, so even though you're using the same energy and getting the same EGT you probably wont get the same thrust (you may also be using more fuel to get to the same EGT, if the combustor efficiency has degraded)
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I doubt it; even for the same energy input to the turbines, I doubt they'll extract energy as efficiently as when new (gaps and seals have probably degraded, causing the turbine (and compressor) to lose efficiency.
IIRC, the Speys of UK Phantoms - which were very old by the end of their life - had fuel flow AND thrust penalties large enough to be accounted for in aircraft operations.
IIRC, the Speys of UK Phantoms - which were very old by the end of their life - had fuel flow AND thrust penalties large enough to be accounted for in aircraft operations.
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Typically, as a jet engine ages, we experience increasing EGT to deliver the same thrust as in 'new' condition. All of which probably explains why we refer to EPR or N1, not EGT, when setting a 'target' thrust.
Regards,
Old Smokey
Regards,
Old Smokey
Last edited by Old Smokey; 15th May 2006 at 00:54.
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Looking at a high-bypass engine:
As the LPT seals and airfoils deteriorate, N1 will decease over time when running at constant LPT inlet temperature (that's called EGT on many engine models, even though it's not the exhaust temperature). The N1 decrease means that the fan pumps less airflow, so fan thrust is DOWN a bit.
Conversely, the LPT is extracting less energy from the core stream, so the LPT exhaust out the core nozzle is a bit hotter; ergo core thrust is UP a bit.
So it's a tug-of-war; Which will win - core thrust or fan thust? My bet for most engines the total thrust will be down, but not much.
(NOTE where I have specified the EGT measurement point; it's sometimes called ITT or Inter-Turbine Temp. Not all engines are the same!)
As the LPT seals and airfoils deteriorate, N1 will decease over time when running at constant LPT inlet temperature (that's called EGT on many engine models, even though it's not the exhaust temperature). The N1 decrease means that the fan pumps less airflow, so fan thrust is DOWN a bit.
Conversely, the LPT is extracting less energy from the core stream, so the LPT exhaust out the core nozzle is a bit hotter; ergo core thrust is UP a bit.
So it's a tug-of-war; Which will win - core thrust or fan thust? My bet for most engines the total thrust will be down, but not much.
(NOTE where I have specified the EGT measurement point; it's sometimes called ITT or Inter-Turbine Temp. Not all engines are the same!)
