I have a vague idea that air compression involved but I don’t know how this fits together in the grand scheme of things.
In: Technology
A jet engine works by sucking in air through a series of fans, compressing it, mixing it with fuel, and igniting it. The hot exhaust gases then exit out the rear of the engine, passing through more fans (the turbine) that in turn drives the compressor fans at the front via a shaft.
The hot exhaust gases create pressure that drives the engine (and anything attached) forward.
A rocket engine works by mixing fuel + and oxidizer to create a chemical reaction, which in turn creates hot exhaust. The major difference between a Jet Engine and a Rocket is that the Rocket has to bring it’s oxidizer (air supply) along with it, while the Jet engine sucks in air from the outside.
A propeller meanwhile is a number of smaller airplane wings that push air as it spins. So long as a propeller is spinning it pushes air and generates thrust.
Propellers can be spun by a number of things like piston engines, or even jet engines. A Jet engine with a propeller attached is called a turbo-prop, and it works by attaching the turbine (the fans in the exhaust) to a drive shaft and gearbox that turns the propeller.
By why use a turbo prop instead of a jet engine? These engines are slower, but much more fuel efficient than jets making them ideal for smaller commuter aircraft. The turbines are also much lighter than piston engines creating much more power to weight.
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