1. Intake: The jet engine begins with an intake, which is designed to capture and compress incoming air. The shape and design of the intake are crucial in efficiently directing air into the engine.
2. Compression: The compressed air then enters the compressor section of the engine. Here, a series of rotating blades compress the air, significantly increasing its pressure and temperature.
3. Combustion: The highly compressed air is then mixed with fuel in the combustion chamber. The fuel is injected into the air, and an igniter initiates the combustion process. This mixture burns, generating a significant amount of heat and expanding the gases rapidly.
4. Turbine: The hot and expanding gases from the combustion chamber pass through the turbine section. The turbine consists of a series of rotating blades that capture the energy from the high-velocity exhaust gases, causing them to spin.
5. Exhaust: After passing through the turbine, the exhaust gases are expelled through the exhaust nozzle at a high velocity. This expulsion of high-velocity exhaust gases creates thrust, propelling the aircraft forward.
6. Bypass Airflow (if applicable): Some jet engines in modern fighter aircraft employ a bypass airflow system. In this design, a portion of the air taken in by the intake bypasses the core engine components (compressor, combustor, and turbine) and mixes with the exhaust gases before exiting through the nozzle. This improves overall engine efficiency and reduces fuel consumption.
7. Afterburner (if applicable): Certain fighter aircraft are equipped with afterburners, which can provide additional thrust when needed. Afterburners inject extra fuel into the exhaust gases just before the nozzle, causing them to ignite and burn, resulting in a significant increase in thrust but also higher fuel consumption.
By continuously taking in air, compressing it, mixing it with fuel, combusting the mixture, and expelling the hot exhaust gases at high velocity, jet engines generate the necessary thrust to propel fighter aircraft at high speeds. The design and materials used in fighter aircraft jet engines are optimized for high performance, reliability, and durability in demanding military environments.
