Advances in Jet Engine Design

¶ … Advances in jet engine design [...] new jet engine types or theoretical designs, including specifications, theory of operation, and how they will benefit modern aviation. Research on new technologies proliferates in the jet engine arena. There are many companies and government agencies attempting to advance jet engine design and performance, including engines that can think for themselves, engines which can fly at seven times the speed of sound, and advanced software to help create these new designs.

ADVANCES IN JET ENGINE DESIGN

Scientists and researchers are continually searching for new technologies for the future, and jet engine design is no exception to this search. New jet engine technologies are in various stages of research and design today, and modern aviation can look forward to many innovations that will move people and freight farther, faster, and with less jet noise in the future. NASA and the Air Force are two governmental agencies that are conducting research on how to improve jet engine technologies, but private enterprise is also looking at ways to improve the technology.

At the Air Force Research Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, researchers are looking into jet engines that can actually react to their current conditions and adapt. A report online on the engines notes, "Researchers envision an intelligent engine that will be flexible and able to adapt, either actively or passively, to changing environments, and still deliver exceptional performance with minimum maintenance throughout its life" (Lewis). These engines will contain special diagnostic sensors, integrated power and control packages, active component stabilization, active compressor and combustor controls, and will be controlled by an "engine area network" from the ground. These engines are fundamentally maintenance free until they flag themselves for attention. These engines are a true leap into futuristic technology, and are an improvement over current engines in many ways, including: keeping the engine from damaging itself in case of failure, diagnosing an engine failure before it happens, and describing exactly what needs to be done to repair the engine. This new design "will combine these technologies with those developed in the Versatile Core and Durability Focus Areas to set the stage for a new generation of capable, affordable, survivable propulsion systems for aerodynamic systems" (Lewis). These engines will be cheaper to operate, and will operate longer and more safely. These "no-hassle" engines will create less need for maintenance personnel, and greater engine life, which will benefit the aviation industry in cost reduction and engine reliability.

Many designers are working on jet engines that will travel faster than the speed of sound, with quieter technology, and will use less fuel. Many engine manufacturers are collaborating with universities to develop innovative technologies that will serve the aviation industry well into the future. One of these partnerships is located at Purdue University, where Rolls Royce is partnering with the university to produce an engine that will propel an aircraft up to seven times the speed of sound. "Purdue will work with Rolls-Royce in research to develop engines for future aircraft that use high Mach propulsion systems to travel three to seven times the speed of sound, or up to 5,000 miles per hour" (Rolls Royce). The specifications for this high-speed engine include new cooling and fuel injector technologies. The pressure of jet fuel at high speed, and the high temperatures of jet fuels used in these advanced engines will also be studied.

Clearly, this high-speed technology could benefit air travel in a variety of ways. Travel would be much quicker to all points on the globe, and engines would be more efficient when new cooling and fuel injection is used. These engines will also have to be quieter and more fuel efficient, which will lower costs for operators, and make it more agreeable for those who live near major airports. These high Mach systems are not the first to delve into high-speed jet engine design. Engineers and scientists have been working on supersonic planes since the 1960s, when the Air Force created the "Dyna Soar" concept. However, these early attempts at creating high-speed jet engines failed due to excessive heat buildup because of severe aerodynamic friction (Larson 39). That is one of the reasons the Purdue/Rolls Royce research is concentrating on jet fuels and how they react to high speeds, and is not using the "air breathing" technology of the ramjets and scramjets, which must take in air at sub- or supersonic speeds to stay cool.