Thrust for take-off

How does a modern gas turbine engine work?

Today's gas turbine engines are turbofan, or bypass, engines.

The air the engine needs for combustion is ingested by a fan up front. The low-pressure and high-pressure compressors compress the air and force it into the combustor. Here fuel is injected and mixed with the inflowing compressed air, and the fuel-air mixture continuously burned. The resultant heat expands the gas to a multiple of its volume, causing it to escape from the combustor in a high-energy stream. The gas rushes through the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines, causing them to rotate and producing the energy needed to drive the compressor and fan. A major portion of the thrust powering the aircraft is produced by the fan.

For more detailed information on the function of the individual engine modules, click on the appropriate module designation.