INLETS Flashcards
What is the total head pressure?
Pressure of air when brought to rest in front of the wings and intakes.
If all ram air pressure is converted into pressure at the face of the engine, what is it called?
Total Pressure Recovery
What is intake momentum drag?
As forward speed increases, thrust decreases.
What is ram ratio?
Ratio of total pressure at inlet to compressor, to static pressure at the entrance to the air intake
What duct is normally used for air intakes?
Divergent.
What is the advantage of a convergent duct for air intake?
Increases static pressure of air moving through the duct.
What could air disturbances at the inlet be caused by?
Damage to intake nose, ice build up or crosswinds at low speeds.
For a flow smooth of air through a compressor, what must the velocity be between at the compressor inlet?
Mach 0.4-0.7
Air intakes designed to convert kinetic energy to pressure energy
What can result in a compressor stall in a subsonic inlet?
Poor air pressure and velocity distribution.
What is the most efficient inlet configuration for subsonic flight?
Pitot type quasi-circular diffuser
For take off, what is the problem of the engine drawing in air from behind the intake lip?
Air suffers a severe directional change which can result in flow separation from extreme local acceleration, degrading engine performance.
How is flow separation reduced from air being drawn in from behind the intake lip?
Intake lip well rounding and thicker radius.
However thinner radius is needed for high speeds
What can be created for engines mounted underneath the wing?
A ground vortex swallowed by the inlet.
And low pressure core of the vortices can ingest FOD
What speeds are supersonic inlets suitable for?
Low supersonic speeds where the normal shockwave isn’t to strong.
(High supersonic unsuitable as normal shock too strong.)
What is the purpose of an oblique shock inlet?
Employs a series of weak oblique shocks to slow the airflow before the normal shock occurs.
Oblique shock inlets leads to the least waste of energy. What does this in turn lead to?
Highest pressure recovery.
What does the optimum shape of a supersonic inlet depend on?
Inlet flow direction with the MACH number.
At Mach 1 what position is a variable supersonic inlet at?
Fully open and aircraft flies with high angle of attack.
At flight speeds above Mach 1, what position is the variable supersonic inlet at?
Actuators slightly change position creating a single normal shock wave.
At high Mach numbers, what is the variable supersonic inlet at?
Actuators move panels to employ 3 oblique shock waves then a normal shock wave.
How do Variable geometry air inlet ducts work?
- Normal shock held In inlet by moving variable inlet ramp (ensures correct air for engine)
- high angles of attack and supersonic manoeuvres, a door opens bleed air preserves engine stall margin
How many shockwaves take place inside a variable geometry air inlet duct?
4
3 oblique, 1 normal
How is ramp position controlled on variable geometry air inlet ducts?
Automatically by the air data computer.
What does the bleed door prevent in variable geometry air inlet ducts?
Intake buzz
Bled air used for engine cooling
What negative effects does ice cause to engines?
- Disturbed airflow, which can lead to compressor stall
- engine sucking in ice
What system is used to prevent ice build up in engines?
Thermal anti icing system
Where are icy conditions possible?
- On the ground low visibility
- low air temperatures
- high humidity in temperatures above 0 degrees.
What are the system requirements for an anti-icing system?
- reliable
- ease of maintenance
- no excess weight
- no loss of engine power
What are the two types of anti-icing systems?
- electrical
- bleed air