Project Description
The goal of this project is to create the most efficient engine possible by testing numerous variables on a single type of engine. To create the best engine we had to determine the fuel efficiency of the engine and alter the variables to increase it to the highest number we can. By using the simulator we could keep all the variables the same then change one per test and determine what can increase the fuel efficiency without taking away the plane's capability to fly.
Procedure
The parameters for our engine were that it needed to be a turbofan, the plane needed to fly at 500 miles per hour, the plane needed to be at 10,000 feet in the air, the throttle needs to be at 99.93%, and the afterburner needs to be in the OFF position. The engine weight would be optimal around 600 pounds with a square footage of 4 feet.
We chose to use a turbofan engine because we would be using the engine at high speeds and it is very efficient compared to other engines due to its design. The turbofan is efficient because it takes in a large mass of air and accelerates it by a small amount compared to a turbojet that accelerates a small amount of air by a large amount. The turbofans will rotate at a slower speed to use less energy while still functioning just as good as the turbojets because the turbofans output such a vast amount of air moving faster than ambient air that the resulting forces are equal to less air moving faster.
For the project we completed 10 different tests by changing variables of the engine, but we kept the flight conditions like airspeed and altitude the same for each test. For the first few tests we altered the efficiency of the engine components as well as the pressure of the engine, and for the other tests that we conducted we changed the materials that the components were made out of. At the end of each test we recorded the weight of the engine, its power to weight ratio, and engine temperature of a section if it was overheated.
We chose to use a turbofan engine because we would be using the engine at high speeds and it is very efficient compared to other engines due to its design. The turbofan is efficient because it takes in a large mass of air and accelerates it by a small amount compared to a turbojet that accelerates a small amount of air by a large amount. The turbofans will rotate at a slower speed to use less energy while still functioning just as good as the turbojets because the turbofans output such a vast amount of air moving faster than ambient air that the resulting forces are equal to less air moving faster.
For the project we completed 10 different tests by changing variables of the engine, but we kept the flight conditions like airspeed and altitude the same for each test. For the first few tests we altered the efficiency of the engine components as well as the pressure of the engine, and for the other tests that we conducted we changed the materials that the components were made out of. At the end of each test we recorded the weight of the engine, its power to weight ratio, and engine temperature of a section if it was overheated.