GAS TURBINE ENGINE
The internal workings of a gas turbine engine are a practical application of the Brayton thermodynamic cycle, which unfolds in four main stages.
- : A fan or compressor at the front of the engine draws in and compresses a large volume of ambient air. The compressor, made of rows of rotating blades called rotors and stationary blades called stators, increases the air's pressure up to 40 times.
- : The compressed air enters the combustion chamber, where it is mixed with fuel and ignited. This creates a stream of very high-temperature, high-pressure gas.
- : This hot gas expands rapidly and is forced through a series of turbine blades. The force of the gas spins the blades at a high speed, which in turn rotates a central shaft.
- : The high-speed exhaust gas exits through a nozzle at the back of the engine. In a jet engine, this exit accelerates the exhaust to produce thrust. In power generation, the spinning shaft is connected to a generator.
Match Jet Engine Components
Drag each component and drop it to match its function.
Air Intake
Compressor
Combustion Chamber
Turbine
Exhaust Nozzle
Draws air into the engine
Compresses incoming air
Burns fuel-air mixture
Extracts energy to drive compressor
Accelerates gases to produce thrust