Fuel Injection: Liquid fuel, typically aviation fuel like Jet A-1 or kerosene, is injected into the combustion chamber through fuel nozzles or injectors. These injectors atomize the fuel into fine droplets, allowing for efficient mixing with air and promoting combustion.
Air-Fuel Mixing: Compressed air from the compressor stage of the engine is mixed with the atomized fuel. The airflow is carefully designed to ensure proper fuel-air ratios and turbulence to enhance mixing. This mixture forms the combustible mixture known as the fuel-air mixture.
Ignition: An ignition source, such as spark plugs or glow plugs, is used to initiate the combustion process. As the fuel-air mixture enters the combustion chamber, the ignition source generates a spark that ignites the mixture.
Combustion: The hot and compressed fuel-air mixture undergoes rapid combustion, releasing a significant amount of heat and generating high-pressure gases. This exothermic reaction produces the hot combustion gases that drive the turbine blades.
Flame Stabilization: To ensure continuous combustion and prevent flame blowout, various flame stabilization techniques are employed. These include swirlers, flame holders, and baffles that create recirculation zones and enhance the mixing of fuel and air.
Heat Transfer: The intense heat generated during combustion is transferred to the metal surfaces of the combustion chamber and the turbine blades. This heat transfer is critical for the efficient operation of the engine.
Exhaust: The high-pressure and high-temperature combustion gases expand through the turbine blades, extracting mechanical energy from the gas stream. After passing through the turbine, the exhaust gases are expelled through the exhaust nozzle, generating additional thrust.
Overall, the combustion gas chamber serves as the heart of a gas turbine engine, where the controlled combustion of fuel and air produces high-pressure gases that drive the turbine and generate thrust for propulsion or power generation.
