1. POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO:
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Aircraft Engines
In-line engine
Early aircraft, including Wright Brothers’.
Advantage: narrow frontal area for low drag
Disadvantage: Poor power-to-weight ratio (heavy crankcase and crankshaft)
In ALL engines, we want a high power-to-weight ratio.
POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO:
amount of power you get out of the engine compared to the weight of the engine itself
P Wt

2. Types of Engines – Aircraft Engines
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Aircraft Engines
Rotary engine i.c.e.
Early WWI
Cylinders around crankcase, crankshaft bolted to airframe
Entire engine rotates with the propeller
Advantages: Lightweight, powerful, cheap, easy to manufacture
Disadvantage: Difficult to fly, spread oil over plane

3. Types of Engines – Aircraft Engines
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Aircraft Engines
Radial engine i.c.e.
Post WWI
Cylinders around crankcase, bolted to airframe
Propeller rotates with crankshaft
Advantages: Good P/W ratio, cools evenly, runs smoothly
Disadvantage: blunt and aerodynamically inefficient profile

4. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Gas Turbine
1934: first “free-piston engine”

5. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Compressor
Compresses incoming air to high pressure (up to 30 times)
2) Combustion Area
Burns fuel and produces high pressure, high velocity gas
3) Turbine
Extracts energy from combustion

6. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Gas Turbine (cont.)
Advantages:
High power-to-weight ratio
Smaller than reciprocating engines of same power
Disadvantages:
Expensive
High speeds and temperatures – materials
More fuel while “idling”

7. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Gas Turbine (cont.)
Uses:
Jet Engines
Electrical Generation
Other Vehicles
Tanks
Naval Vessels
Automobiles

8. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Gas Turbine (cont.)
Turbine Jet Engine
THRUST

9. Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Power Plants – Engines
Types of Engines – Gas Turbine
Gas Turbine (continued)
Turbofan
THRUST

10. Types of Engines – Other Types
Power Plants – Engines
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-6
Types of Engines – Other Types
Other types of engines
Bourke
Wankel
Sterling
Carnot Heat Engine
Controlled Combustion
IRIS Engine
Five-stroke
Six-stroke

11. Non-Renewable Fuels – Petroleum
IOT POLY ENGINEERING
3-2
Petroleum
Distillation