The main objective of the course is to supply the instruments for the study of aeronautical propulsion: thrust and performance of the different engine types during the different flight phases, engine layouts and main components responsible for the propulsion.
Theoretical and applied lectures
- Brief introduction to the aeronautical propulsion history; large aircraft propulsion; standard atmosphere; units used in the aeronautical field.
- Classification of the aeroengines: architectures of propeller engines, ramjet, turbojet with and without afterburner, turbofan with low and high by-pass-ratios, pulsejet.
- Aircraft aerodynamics principles: lift, drag and momentum coefficients; finite wings and induced drag; wing aspect ratio.
- Airplane drag polar; aerodynamic forces acting on the airplane; thrust and power required for level, unaccelerated flight; maximum velocity; rate of climb; gliding flight; absolute and service ceiling; time-to-climb. Range and endurance for propeller driven and jet airplanes. Breguet’s range formula. Takeoff and landing performance. Turning flight and the v-n diagram.
- Evaluation of the engine requirements, installed and uninstalled thrust.
- Generation of thrust for turbojet, turbofan, and turboprop. Actuator disk and blade element theories. Performance parameters of propulsion systems: cycle efficiency, propulsion efficiency, and overall efficiency.
- Turbojet engine: cycle analysis, design paramaters.
- Turbofan engine: cycle analysis, by-pass ratio selection.
- Turboprop engine: cycle analysis, optimum power split between the propeller and the jet.
- Main components responsible for the propulsion: Inlets: main requirements, non-dimensional parameters, diffuser geometries, Sovran and Klomp diffuser performance charts, supersonic inlets. Nozzles: main requirements, performance, nozzle area scheduling. Thrust reverser and thrust vectoring.
ANDREA CATTANEI (President)
FRANCESCA SATTA (President)
EDWARD CANEPA
DANIELE SIMONI
MARINA UBALDI
PIETRO ZUNINO
AERONAUTICAL PROPULSION
Oral examinations
