Index

There are several types of turbine engines that operate in very similar ways, but contain minor differences that tailor them for different applications

Turbojet- The turbojet is the basic model of turbine engines and incorporates the gas turbine with a propelling nozzle at the rear to gain more thrust. One popular variation of the turbojet has an afterburner added to the rear of the engine. The afterburner is an additional combustion chamber that reheats the exhaust gases for additional thrust. However, it does so at a much less efficient rate than the initial combustion chamber. The afterburner typically uses roughly four times as much fuel as the main engine does. Turbojets are used for high speed aircraft, while afterburners are typically found on those made for supersonic speeds.

Turbofan- The turbofan engine operates using the same turbine engine as the turbojet, but has a large fan on the front of the engine. This fan is powered by the turbine and is used to pull in even more air than a standard turbojet. Some of this additional air flows into the compressor to increase the output, while some bypasses the engine altogether, directly adding to the thrust produced by the engine. This is the most common type of engine for commercial airplanes. Turbofan engines are both quieter and more fuel efficient than turbojets, making them the better choice for passenger aircraft.

Turboprop- A turboprop engine utilizes the gas turbine engine, which turns a vast majority of its energy into shaft work that powers the propeller at the front of the engine. So much of the energy from the engine is turned into mechanical work for the propeller that the exhaust only provides a very minimal amount of thrust to the engine when compared to the force that is developed by the propeller. This type of engine is most common in small and relatively slow aircraft since it is most efficient at low altitudes and slow speeds, though it is the most efficient of these three forms of turbine engines.