AME 40431: Gas Turbines and Propulsion

CATALOG DATA:
The mechanics and thermodynamics of gas turbines and air-breathing propulsion devices. The mechanics of various space propulsion systems are also presented, including an introduction to rocket propulsion.

Prerequisites: AME 30331

TEXTBOOK:
Gordon Oates, Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion, 3 rd Ed., AIAA Press , 1988. Also, the web is used extensively in this course. Every lecture is posted on the web prior to presenting the lecture. Other material is also posted, including the schedule. This information can be viewed at nd.edu/~ame454.

COURSE OBJECTIVES :
The objectives of the course are to develop the students ability to:

    1. Understand the thermodynamics of each component of a turbine engine which include inlets, fans, compressors, burners, turbines, afterburners and nozzles;
    2. Know what the design variables for each component are;
    3. understand the linked system performance of all components in the engine and performance trends for each component;
    4. understand the basis for off-design performance;
    5. understand how the engine integrates into an aircraft system and how to link the engine requirements to an aircraft’s mission requirements; understand how most of the aircraft’s mission is covered by the engine’s off-design performance and how to use both on- and off-design performance to develop an overall system optimiza

TOPICS COVERED:

    1. Review of Thermodynamics
    2. Development of the analysis tools needed to analyze a gas turbine engine
    3. Role of engine in an aircraft system and aircraft mission analysis
    4. Description of a simple turbojet engine and number designation
    5. Analysis of the Inlet
    6. Analysis of Compressor, Isentropic and Polytropic efficiencies for component and stage.
    7. Analysis of Burner, real-gas effects
    8. Analysis of a Turbine, first system-linking equations
    9. Analysis of a Nozzle
    10. On-design system analysis and trends
    11. Ram Jets
    12. Turbofans
    13. Off-design analysis
    14. System Design and Optimization (different system and mission for each new offering of the course)
    15. Rocket Propulsion and rocket nozzle design
    16. Propeller Theory

SCHEDULE:
The course is taught as either a three 50-minute contact hours per week or twice a week for 75 minutes.


CONTRIBUTION TO PROFESSIONAL COMPONENT :
This course is a terminal course or Capstone course in the aerospace engineering program. Since the analysis developed in the course is similar to the analysis used in engine companies, many opportunities are taken to discuss professional practice. Throughout the course, the role of engine analysis in the larger aircraft system in which it is a major subcomponent is discussed. The entire focus of the course is on developing an approach to analyzing the engine as a complete system and design is stressed for not only on-design but, more importantly, for off-design performance. The course includes a major project, which is different each time the course is offered, and which is based on some engine-design program has actually been undertaken in the recent past or is presently being performed by some engine company. As part of the project the actual design program is presented to the students and as part of the first chapter the students are required to develop as much information about the project as they can glean from open-literature sources. This information is used to develop their specific design goals and objectives for their individual design project. From time to time a student will discover information about the baseline engine that is then made available to all the students in the course.

CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM LEARING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT:
The specific mapping to the program Educational Objectives and Learning Outcomes are contained in PAT (Program Assessment Tool) forms executed prior to presenting the course and after completing the course each offering. In general the course addresses some of the topics listed in objectives 1 (Understand the Profession), 2 (First Principles), 4 (Design), 5 (Programming), 6 (Communication), and 7 (Technology Impact). The course emphasizes design. The Learning Outcomes are assessed through graded homework exercises, two exams and a final, and through a major design project. As mentioned in item 9, the course is focused on a major design project. As is clear from discussions with the students, this project really pulls the material together and leaves the students with a good understanding of how this thermodynamic machine operates and how the components of the engine work together as a system. Parts of the final project are turned in as parts (Chapters) at regular intervals during the course, starting with developing the design requirements through an aircraft mission analysis. The grading of these chapters allows for intermediate feedback to the students and suggestions are made to improve their work. When the final project is graded, the early chapters are reviewed to see how much additional effort was put into addressing these recommendations.

Prepared by: Eric Jumper April 4, 2005

Direct comments, questions, and corrections to amedept@nd.edu