Jet engine performance: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:11, 4 March 2025

Revision as of 09:53, 6 March 2025

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{{Short description|Measurement indicator of fuel conversion}}

A '''jet engine''' converts fuel into thrust. One key metric of performance is the [[thermal efficiency]]; how much of the chemical energy (fuel) is turned into useful work (thrust propelling the aircraft at high speeds). Like a lot of [[heat engine]]s, jet engines tend to not be particularly efficient (<50%); a lot of the fuel is "wasted".{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} In the 1970s, rconomiceconomic pressure due to the rising cost of fuel resulted in increased emphasis on efficiency improvements for commercial airliners.

Jet engine performance has been phrased as 'the end product that a jet engine company sells'<ref>Gas Turbine Performance, Second Edition, Walsh and Fletcher 2004, {{ISBN|0 632 06434-X}}, Preface</ref> and, as such, criteria include thrust, (specific) fuel consumption, [[time between overhauls]], [[power-to-weight ratio]]. Some major factors affecting efficiency include the engines [[overall pressure ratio]], it's [[bypass ratio]] and the turbine inlet temperature.