Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop,

es: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

Chapter 7: Shaft engines: Turboprop, Turboshaft, and Propfan ram-based, and turbine-based engines.
7.2 Turboprop engines
7.1 Introduction 7.2.1 Introduction
7.2 Turboprop engines Many bush airplanes (like Cessna Caravan and Quest Kodiak) (Fig. 7.1) which are
7.2.1 Introduction low-speed transport/cargo aircraft and small commuter aircraft use turboprop propulsion.
7.2.2 Milestones However, some large military and civil aircrafts, such as the Lockheed L-188 Electra
7.2.3 Thermodynamics analysis of turboprop engines (Fig. 7.2) and the Tupolev Tu-95, use turboprop engines also. A distinguished application
a) Single-spool turboprop for turboprop engines is the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey; Fig. (7.3), multi-mission, a
b) Two-spool turboprop tilt-rotor military aircraft that has both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short
7.2.4 Equivalent engine power takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is powered by Rolls Royce Allison T406
a) Static condition turboshafts.
b) Flight operation
7.2.5 Fuel consumption
7.2.6 Analogy with turbofan engines
7.3 Turboshaft
7.3.1 Introduction
7.3.2 Examples for turboshaft manufacturers and engines
7.3.3 Thermodynamic analysis of turboshaft engines
7.3.4 Power generated by turboshaft engines
a) Single-spool turboshaft
b) Double-spool turboshaft
7.4 Propfan
7.4.1 Introduction
7.4.2 Historical hints Fig. 7.1: A Cessna 208B SKS Caravan (Courtesy [1])
7.4.3 Classifications of propfans
7.4.4 Comparisons between turboprop, propfan, and turbofan
Examples
Problems

7.1 Introduction
This chapter introduces three types of shaft aero engines, namely, turboprop,
turboshaft, and propfan engines. Piston engines together with these three engine types
complete the group of shaft engines. Turboprop engines have their exhaust gases leaving
the engine at very low speeds, while the exhaust leaves turboshaft engines at nearly zero
speeds. Power rather thrust is the key factor in both. Turboprop engines power many
commuter and heavy transport aircrafts flying at moderate subsonic speeds. Turboprop
engine is composed of two main parts, namely, gas turbine and propeller. Gearbox
couples the propeller to the driving turbine.
Turboshaft engines are employed in most helicopters, some tanks, and boats as well Fig. 7.2: Lockheed L-188 Electra
as some race cars. In a turboshaft engine, the gearbox is not connected to a propeller but The turboprop uses a gas turbine core to turn a propeller. As mentioned in Chap. 4,
to some other drive devices, namely, rotor(s) in helicopters and marine screws in boats, propeller engines develop thrust by moving a large mass of air through a small change in
etc. Turboshaft engines employed in other applications are identified as industrial gas velocity. Propellers are very efficient and can use nearly any kind of engine to turn the
turbines which are extensively employed in petroleum industry and electrical power prop. The propeller is driven through a reduction gear by either the compressor-turbine
station. shaft or a power (or free power) turbine shaft. The reduc tion gearbox converts the high
Propfan engines combine many features of both turbofan and turboprop engines. RPM/low torque output to a low RPM/high torque. Turboprop power is measured in total
However, it is distinct from both. The engine uses a gas turbine to drive an unshielded equivalent power (either measured in horse-power or kilowatts). The major part of this
propeller like a turboprop, but the propeller itself is designed with a large number of total equivalent power is generated by the propeller, while its minor part is developed
short, highly twisted blades, similar to the fan of a turbofan engine. Propfan engines have from the exhaust gases.
the highest propulsive efficiency among all air-breathing engines including shaft-based, Turboprops have higher propulsive efficiency than turbojet and turbofan engines
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
when they fly under 30,000ft and speeds below 400-450 mph. This is due to the low jet 7.2.2 Milestones
velocities of both the propeller and exhaust. Propellers become less efficient as the speed The early name of turboprop engine was “airscrew turbine engine” which was later
of the aircraft increases. In this case, the flow may reach or even exceed sonic speed given the neater title of turboprop.
along the outer portion of its blades giving rise to a substantial increase in drag Hungarian Gyorgy Jendrassik designed the very first working turboprop engine in
coefficient and awful decrease in lift coefficient. 1938, called the “Cs-1.” It was produced and flown in Czechoslovakia (1939-1942). The
Turboprop engines may be single, double, or triple spools. For a single-spool engine, engine was fitted to the Varga XG/XH twin-engined reconnaissance bomber but proved
the only one turbine drives the only one compressor and propeller (Fig. 7.4). A two-spool very unreliable.
turboprop is composed of one or two compressors and two turbines (high pressure and
low pressure). The low-pressure turbine drives either the single compressor or the
low-pressure compressor (if two compressors are present) and also drives the propeller
(Fig. 7.5). Finally the three-spool engine features three turbines and two compressors.
The propeller is driven by the low-pressure turbine (Fig. 7.6). The exhaust velocity of a
turboprop is low and contributes little thrust because most of the energy of the core hot
gases has gone into turning the drive shaft.
Moreover, the turboprop engine may be either of the pusher or tractor (puller) type.
Pusher types are installed to either the wing or fuselage. Two possible wing locations are Fig. 7.4: Single-spool turboprop engine (Reproduced by permission from Rolls-Royce
seen, namely, midwing or wing tip. Concerning fuselage, turboprops are either installed plc.)
to the aft pylon or aft end [2].
Tractor types have three possible types of installation, namely, wing, fuselage, and
tail. Turboprops are either installed to the mid or tip of the wing. Concerning fuselage,
two possible locations are seen, namely, forward or aft-fuselage pylon. Finally tail
installation shows three possible positions, namely, low, median, or tip of the horizontal
tail [3].

Fig. 7.5: Twin-spool turboprop: (a) LPT drives propeller and (b) LPT drives both LPC
and propeller (from Rolls-Royce)

Fig. 7.6: Three-spool turboprop engine (from Rolls-Royce)

Since the 1940s, Rolls-Royce built several turboprop engines. Examples are the
Fig. 7.3: Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 4
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
following: engine power ranging from 500 to 2000 sHp. Since the PT6A family entered service in
 RB50 Trent which powered the world’s first turboprop-powered aircraft; Gloster the 1960s, about 40,000 engines have been produced. To date, the PT6A has accumulated
Meteor flew on September 20, 1945. about 300 million flying hours and is therefore a highly proven and durable engine. It
 Clyde (August 1945) which powered Westland Wyvern TF Mk.2 strike aircraft. powers numerous aircraft including Beechcraft 1900, Dornier DO 128-6, Bell412, and
 DART which powered several aircrafts including Fairchild Industries’ F-27 and Sikorsky S58T.
Grumman Gulfstream. More than 7100 Darts were sold, flying over 130 million In France, Turbomeca began producing small turboprop engines in 1947 like:
hours.  Marcadau, first turboprop built in 1953 generating 400 hp
 Tyne, (April 1955), which is a two-spool engine driving through a  Bastan in 1957 which develops 800-1100 shp
double-epicyclic gearbox and a four-blade reverse propeller.  Astazou in 1957 developing 523-644 hp which is the most famous French
 Merlin (1965-1998) powered Swearingen SA226-T. turboprop that powered many aircrafts including Mitsubishi MU-2 and Dornier
 AE2100 which powered Saab 2000. Do27T-l
Another British manufacturer was the Bristol which built: Other worldwide companies include:
 Theseus that powered the Avro Lincoln aircraft (July 1945).  Italian Fiat that built the turboprop T64-P4D which powered G222RM
 Proteus that flew millions of hours and still drives the biggest hovercraft across  Japanese company IHI that built T56-IHI-14 and T58-IHI-110 turboprops, which
the British Channel (Jan 1947). powered the P-3C and KV-107
A third British manufacturer is Armstrong Siddeley, which built:  EPI Europrop International GmbH created by the four leading European aero
 Python that powered the Westland Wyvern carrier strike fighter (April 1945) engine companies (Industria de Turbo Propulsores, MTU Aero Engines,
 Mamba which powered Douglas C-47B Dakota and Double Mamba, which Rolls-Royce, and Snecma) that produced the three-shaft TP400-D6 turboprop
powered the Fairey Gannet (April 1946) (11,000 shp) which powers Airbus A400M military transport.
The first American turboprop manufacturer was General Electric which built:
 T-31, the first American turboprop engine that powered Consolidated Vultee 7.2.3 Thermodynamics analysis of turboprop engines
XP-81 and first flew on December 21, 1945. The T-31 was mounted in the nose The different modules of a turboprop engine are the intake or inlet, one or two
with the J-33 turbojet mounted in the rear fuselage to provide additional thrust. compressors, a combustion chamber, and one or more (up to three) turbines and the
Similar turboprop/turbojet combinations were also used in the Navy XF2R-1 exhaust nozzle.
aircraft.
 T-56 turboprop powering the Lockheed Martin C-130-H and C-2A Greyhound. a) Single-spool turboprop
 T-64 powering de Havilland Canada DHC-5 and Buffalo aircraft.
Another US aero engine manufacturer is Allison which produced several turbo-prop
engines:
 GMA 2100 powering L100/C-130J
 T56-A-11 powering AC-130A
 T406 turboshaft engine that powers Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft
A third US manufacturer for turboprop engines is AlliedSignal (previously Garrett
AiResearch) that produced the famous TPF331 turboprop engine, which powered, for
example, the Embraer/FAMA CBA-123. It is one of the few pusher turboprops in recent
days.
In the Soviet Union, the Kuznetsov Design Bureau produced in the 1950s the NK-12
turboprop engine that powered Tu-95 strategic bomber, with propellers that had A simplified layout of a single-spool turboprop engine together with its
supersonic tip speeds. temperature-entropy (T-s) diagram is shown in Figs. 7.7 and 7.8.
A second Russian turboprop manufacturer is Kirill Klimov Experimental Design
Bureau. An example for its engines is Klimov TV7-117 that powers Ilyushin Il-112 and
Ilyushin Il-114.
A Ukrainian company is Motor Sich, which is one of the largest engine
manufacturers for airplanes and helicopters worldwide. It produced:
 AI-20D Series powering the AN-32 aircraft
 AI-24 installed in the AN-24 aircraft servicing short-and medium-haul routes
A Canadian famous company Pratt & Whitney of Canada (PWC) built a big family
of the popular turboprop/turboshaft engine including PT6, PT6A, PT6B, PT6C, PT6D,
and ST6 as well as PW100 and PW200. The PT6A comes in 65 different versions with
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 5 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 6
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
with air. Spark plugs initiate the combustion process. The mass flow rate of the burnt fuel
is calculated from the energy balance of the combustion chamber:
ma
 m f  h04  m ah03  burnm fQR

ma
 m f c p,gasT04  m ac p,airT03  bm fQR

The temperature at the outlet of the combustors (inlet of turbine) is determined from
metallurgical limits set by the turbine blade material and is known as the turbine inlet
temperature TIT  T04  or turbine entry temperature (TET).
m f
With f 
m a
Fig. 7.7: Layout of a single-spool (direct drive turboprop engines) then the fuel-to-air ratio is determined from the relation:
 m f  m f
The same procedure followed in Chaps. 5 and 6 will be followed here.  
1  m c p,gT04  c p,aT03  b m QR
The flight speed is expressed as U  M a RTa  a  a

The different modules of the engine are treated hereafter. c p,gT04  c p,aT03  b fQR  fc p,gT04  f bQR  c p,gT04 
① Intake
c p,gT04  c p,aT03
The intake has an isentropic efficiency ( d ), and the ambient temperature and f
bQR  c p,gT04
pressure are ( Pa and Ta , respectively), and the flight Mach number is M a . The
c p ,gasT04  c p ,airT03
temperature and pressure at the intake outlet are T02 and P02 which may be calculated f  (6.6)
bQR  c p ,gasT04
using the same governing equations described in Chap. 5.
② Compressor The stagnation pressure at the outlet of combustion chamber, state (4), is less than its
For a known compressor pressure ratio ( c ) and its isentropic efficiency ( c ), the value at the inlet, state (3), because of fluid friction. The pressure drop is either given as a
definite value or as a percentage. Thus, the outlet pressure from the combustion chamber
outlet temperature and pressure are calculated as in Chap. 5. The specific power of the is expressed either as:
compressor is given by the following relation:
p04  p03  Pcc (6.7a)
or
p04  p03 1  Pcc % (6.7b)

④ Turbine
Since the turbine drives the compressor as well as the propeller and the portion of
power transferred to each is not known in advance, then it is not easy here to determine
the outlet pressure and temperature of the turbine. Let us first examine the power
transmission from the turbine to the propeller as illustrated in Fig. 7.9.

Fig. 7.8: Temperature-entropy diagram of a single-spool turboprop

hc  c p,c T03  T02  (7.1)

③ Combustion chamber
With known combustor efficiency of ( b ) and pressure drop in combustor of ( P ),
then the pressure at the outlet of the combustion chamber and fuel-to-air ratio are
calculated in the same way as in Chap. 6. Fig 7.9: Expansion in the turbine and nozzle of a single-spool turboprop

In combustion process, fuel is injected in an atomized form, evaporated, and mixed Only a portion of the turbine power is delivered to the propeller. This propeller
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 7 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 8
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
power is dependent on several efficiencies, namely, the mechanical efficiencies of The propeller thrust Tpr is correlated to the propeller power by the folowing relation:
turbine, compressor, and propeller, namely, ( mt , mc , g ) as well as the propeller UTpr UTpr
 pr  
efficiency pr  . Figure 7.9 illustrates the enthalpy-entropy diagram for the expansion g Pshaft  g m awshaft 
processes through both the turbine and the exhaust nozzle. It has been shown by m a
Lancaster [4] that there is an optimum exhaust velocity that yields the maximum thrust Tpr   w
U pr g shaft
for a given flight speed, turbine inlet temperature, and given efficiencies. Now define the
following symbols as shown in Fig. 7.9.
m a is the air induction rate per second,
h =enthalpy drop available in an ideal (isentropic) turbine and exhaust nozzle.
h  hts =fraction of h that would be available from an isentropic turbine having m f
The fuel-to-air ratio f 
the actual pressure ratio. m a
hns  1    h =the fraction of h that may be available from an isentropic nozzle. m b
The bleed ratio are defined as b 
t  isentropic efficiency of turbine. m a
n  isentropic efficiency of the exhaust nozzle. Balance energy equation
Now these parameters will be evaluated from the following thermodynamic relations: Wpropeller  Wcompressor  Wturbine
h  h04  h06s  c ptT04  c ptT06s With
 Wpropeller  m awshaft
T 
h  c ptT04 1  06s  m awc
 T04  Wcompressor 
mc
For ideal (isentropic) expansion through combined turbine and nozlle:
 1  1 Wturbine  mt m a  m f  m b  wt
T06s  p06s   p  
     a  Where wt , wc and wshaft are specific work of the turbine, compressor and the shaft
T04  p04   p04 
connecting to the propeler.
 Joule 
 t 1 
wt  ht  h04  h05  ;
  p  t   kg 

h  c p,tT04 1    
 a 
(7.2)  
  p04    Joule 
  wc  hc  h03  h02  
 kg 
 
It was assumed in Eq. (7.2) that the ratios between specific heats within the turbine
and nozzle are constant, or Therefore,
t  n  hot m awc
m awshaft   mt m a  m f  m b  wt
Nozzle efficiency mc
U e2 
w  m m 
n  2 wshaft  c  mt 1  f  b  wt
mc  m a m a 
1   h
 m m  w
The exhaust gas speed (U e ) is given by the relation 
 wshaft  mt 1  f  b  wt  c
 m a m a  mc
U e2
 n 1   h
2 hc
The shaft power wshaft  mt 1  f  b  ht 
U e  2 1   h n (7.3) mc

The procedure to be followed here is to deduce a mathematical expression for the

Turbine efficiency
thrust force generated by the propeller (Tpr ) from the power generated by the propeller.
h04  h05 ht ht
Adding this thrust to the thrust generated by the exhaust gases then the total thrust is t   
h04  h05s hts h
obtained as a function of (  ). Differentiate this total thrust with respect to (  ), we can
obtain the optimum value of α giving the maximum thrust. The turbine specific work:
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 9 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 10
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

 ht  t h  U 2  n 

opt  1 
 2 2 2 2  (7.6)
hc 2h  pr g mt t 
Thus, the shaft power wshaft  mt 1  f  b t h  
mc This particular value of (  ) defines the optimum power split between the propeller
The propeller specific power Ppr  Tpr * U is given by the relation and the jet.
Substituting this value ( opt ) in Eq. (7.5) gives the maximum value of the thrust
Ppr
 pr gwshaft force. The corresponding value of the exhaust speed is given by the following equation:
m a
n
Ue  U
The thrust force due to propeller:  pr g mt t
m a
Tpr   w
U pr g shaft
m    hc 
Tpr  a pr g 1  f  b  mt t h  (7.4)
U  mc 

The thrust force obtained from the exhaust gases leaving the nozzle is denoted as
T 
n
and is expressed by the relation
Tn  m a  m f  m b U e  m aU
(momentum equation for control volume)
 m m 

Tn  m a 1  f  b U e  m aU
 m a m a 
Tn  m a 1  f  b U e  m aU
Tn  m a 1  f  b U e U 
 

With U e  2 1   h n
Then
Tn  m a 1  f  b U e U 
 
 
Tn  m a 1  f  b  2 1   h n U 
 

Total thrust T  Tpr  Tn

m a pr g  
T  1  f  b    h  hc   m  
1  f  b  2 1   h n U 
U  mt t
mc  a
 

Specific thrust
   
T
 pr g 1  f  b    h  hc   1  f  b  2 1    h U  (7.5)
m a U  mt t 
mc   n



Differentiate (7.5) with respect (  ), we get the optimum value ( opt ) that maximizes
the thrust T for fixed component efficiencies, flight speed (U), compressor specific work
hc , and expansion work h .
This optimum value is expressed by Eq. (7.6):

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 11 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 12

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
b) Two-spool turboprop M U / a
A schematic diagram of a two-spool engine having a free power turbine together with    1 2 
its temperature-entropy diagram is shown in Figs. 7.10 and 7.11. T02  T01  Ta 1  c M 
 2 
The low-pressure spool is composed of the propeller and the free power turbine,
while the high-pressure spool is composed of the compressor and the high-pressure or gas
c
generator turbine (HPT).    1 2 c 1
P02  Pa 1  diffuser c M 
 2 
② Compressor (states 2-3)
For a known compressor pressure ratio ( c ) and its isentropic efficiency ( c ), the
outlet temperature and pressure are calculated.

P03  P02 * c
h03s  h02 T03s  T02
c  
h 03  h 02 T03  T02

Fig. 7.10: Layout of a free power turbine turboprop engine T03s

1
T
c  02
T03
1
T02
T03s
1
T03 T
 1  02
T02 c
 1

T03s  p  
1  03   1
T03 T02  p 
1  1  02
T02 c c
Fig. 7.11: Temperature-entropy diagram for a free power turbine  c 1 


T03  T02 1 
 c  c
 1 

This two-spool turboprop is composed of the following modules:  c 
 Intake (states 1-2),  
 Compressor (states 2-3) The specific enthalpy rise is
 Combustor chamber (states 3-4), hc  h03  h02   cp,c T03  T02 
 High-pressure turbine (HPT, states 4-5), drives the compressor,
 Low-pressure turbine (LPT, states 5-6), drives the propeller ③ Combustion chamber (states 3-4)
 Nozzle (states 6-7)
P04  1  Pcc  P03
Successive analysis of the elements will be given here. m f
f  is fuel-to-air ratio
m a
① Intake (states 1-2)
m b
The intake has an isentropic efficiency ( d ), and the ambient temperature and b is bleed air ratio
m a
pressure are ( Pa and Ta , respectively), and the flight Mach number is M a . The
Energy balance
temperature and pressure at the intake outlet are T02 and P02
burnerm fQR  m a  m f  m b  h04  m a  m b  h03
Sonic speed:
bm fQR  m a  m f  m b c p,gasT04  m a  m b c p,airT03
a  cRTa
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 13 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 14
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
Divide by m a  1
P 
1   05 
 T  T05 
b fQR  1  f  b cp,gasT04  1  b cp,airT03 
04

 P04  tT04
f bQR  1  b  cp,gasT04  cp,airT03   fcp,gasT04  1
T 04
 T05  P 
  05 


f bQR  cp,gasT04   1  b  c p,gasT04  cp,airT03  1

tT04  P04 
c p,gasT04  c p,airT03 
f  1  b 
1  T04  T05  
   1 P
bQR  c p,gasT04    05
 tT04  P04

b is combustor efficiency. Moreover, from the isentropic efficiency of the gas generator turbine, the outlet
④ High-pressure turbine (HPT, states 4-5): Gas generator turbine (turbine for driving pressure P05  is calculated from the relation
compressor) t
 T  T  t 1
 P05  P04 1   04 05 

An energy balance between the compressor and this high-pressure turbine gives
  tT04 
wc 
mtwt  ⑤ Combination of Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT, states 5-6) & nozzle (states 6-7): Free
mc
power turbine (turbine for driving propeller)
or
hc The work developed by the free power turbine per unit mass inducted into the engine
mt ht  (7.8a) is
mc
w ft  h ft  1  f  b h05  h06   c p, ft 1  f  b T05  T06 
The specific work generated in the turbine of the gas generator is
wt  ht  1  f  b h04  h05   1  f  b c p,t T04  T05  (7.8b) As noticed from the above equation and previously explained in section a), the
temperature T06  is unknown and cannot be calculated.
And wc  hc  h03  h02   c p,c T03  T02 
From Eq. (7.8) with known turbine inlet temperature, then the outlet temperature Then a similar procedure will be followed. Referring to Fig. 7.12, which defines the
T05  is calculated from the relation successive expansion processes in the free power turbine and the nozzle, we have
cp,c T03  T02  h  enthalpy drop available in an ideal (isentropic) turbine and exhaust nozzle,
mt 1  f  b cp,t T04  T05   assuming a full expansion to the ambient pressure is assumed in the nozzle P7  Pa 
mc .
c p,c T03  T02  It is calculated as
 T05  T04  h  h05  h07s  c p,tT05  c p,tT07s
c p,t mc mt 1  f  b 
 T 
Isentropic efficiency of the gas generator turbine h  c p,tT05 1  07s 
 T05 
h04  h05
t  1
h04  h05s For ideal (isentropic) expansion through combined free turbine and nozlle:
 1  1
c p ,t T04  T05  T  T05  T07s  p07s   p  
  7 
04
t     
c p ,t T04  T05s  T 04
 T05s  T05  p05   p05 
  1 
 T     
T04  T05s  T04 1  05s   T04 1   P05   

t 1 

 T04    P04    p  t 

 
h  c p,tT05 1   a  
   p05  

T  T05   
04
t   ft  isentropic efficiency of the free power turbine.
  1 
 P   
T04 1   05   h ft h05  h06
 P04    ft  
 h fts h05  h06s
 

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 15 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 16

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

c p ,t T05  T06  T 05
 T06  ① Known exhaust speed.
 ft   ② Know the ratio between total and static pressures at nozzle outlet   ; refer to [5].
c p,t T05  T06s  T 05
 T06s 
h  h fts which is the fraction of h that would be available from an isentropic
7.2.4 Equivalent engine power
free power turbine. Here two flight phases will be discussed, namely, static run and cruise conditions.
a) Static condition
Following the same procedure described above to determine the optimum α, the During testing (on a test bench) or takeoff conditions, the Total Equivalent
propeller thrust and the exhaust thrust are determined from the relations Horse-Power is denoted by TEHP and is equal to the SHP of propeller plus the SHP
equivalent to the net jet thrust. For estimation purposes it is taken that, under sea-level
static conditions, one SHP is equivalent to approximately 2.5 lb of jet thrust [6]. Thus
jet  thrust lb 
T .E .H .P.
Take off
 S .H .P . 
2.5
(7.13a)
Switching to SI units, experiments have shown also that [7] the total equivalent
power (TEP) in kW is related to the shaft power (SP) also in kW by the relation
jet  thrust(Newton )
T .E .P.kW  Take off
 S .P . kW  
8.5
(7.13b)
The thrust on test bench (ground testing) or during takeoff is given by
Fig. 7.12: Expansion in the turbine and nozzle of a double-spool turboprop T  m 1  f  b U e
Propeller thrust
m a pr g 

Tpr  1  f  b  mft  ft h  (7.9) b) Flight operation
U  For a turboprop engine during flight, the equivalent shaft horsepower (ESHP) is
Exhaust thrust equal to the shaft horsepower plus the jet thrust power as per the following relation:
Tn  m a 1  f  b U e U  T U
  E .S .H .P .  S .H .P.  (7.14a)
cons tan t  pr
The total thrust is then T  Tpr  Tn
  where the thrust is T  m 1  f  b U e U 
T    
 pr g 1  f  b  mft ft h   1  f  b  2 1   n h U  (7.10)

ma U     The constant in Eq. (6.19a) depends on the employed units, thus
where T lb  U  ft / s 
e.s.h.p.  s.h. p .  (7.14b)
mft =mechanical efficiency of the free power turbine. 550  pr
Maximizing the thrust T for fixed component efficiencies, flight speed U and h T lb  U mph 
yields the following optimum value of opt  e.s.h.p.  s.h. p .  (7.14c)
375  pr
U 2  n  T lb  U knots 
opt  1   2 2 2 2  (7.11) e.s.h .p.  s.h. p .  (7.14d)
2h  pr g mft  ft  325  pr
Again, it can be mentioned that this particular value of  defines the optimum T lb  U inft / s 
e.s.h.p.  s.h. p .  (7.14e)
power split between the propeller and the jet. Substituting opt  in Eq. (7.10) gives the 550  pr
maximum value of the thrust force. The corresponding value of the exhaust speed is Normally a value of pr  80% is employed as industrial standards.
given by the following equation:
n 7.2.5 Fuel consumption
Ue  U (7.12)
pr g mft  ft As previously explained for turbojet and turbofan engines, the fuel consumption is
The outlet conditions at the free turbine outlet are easily calculated from the known m f
identified by the Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption (TSFC) defined as TSFC  and
value of h  and opt  . T
kg fuel
As alternatives to the parameter   discussed above, two methods may be expressed in terms of
N .hr
followed:
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 17 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 18
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
For turboprop engines the fuel consumption is identified by the Equivalent Specific 7.3 Turboshaft
Fuel Consumption (ESFC) defined as 7.3.1 Introduction
m f
ESFC  (7.15)
ESHP
lbfuel kgfuel
and expressed in the following units or
hp.hr kW .hr
lbfuel kgfuel
Typical values for ESFC [8] are ESFC  0.45  0.60 or 0.27  0.36 kW
hp.hr .hr

7.2.6 Analogy with turbofan engines

A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine which is optimized to produce shaft

power rather than jet thrust. Generally, a turboshaft engine is made up of two major parts
assemblies: the “gas generator” and the “power section.” The gas generator consists of
one or more compressors, combustion chamber, and one or more turbines. The power
section consists of an additional turbine, a gear reduction system, and the shaft output.
Turboprop engines are analogous to high-bypass turbofan engines. The propeller The gas generator creates the hot expanding gases to drive the power section. Depending
itself is an un-ducted fan with a bypass ratio equal to or greater than 25. The air flow on the design, the engine accessories may be driven either by the gas generator or by the
through the propeller is slightly accelerated and thus acquires speeds slightly higher than power section. In most designs, the gas generator and power section are mechanically
the aircraft flight speed. The momentum difference between the inlet and outlet flows separate so they can each rotate at different speeds.
through the propeller produces the propeller thrust. Next this accelerated air passes Turboshaft engines are similar to turboprops, except that the hot gases are expanded
through the engine core and accelerated to higher speeds. to a lower pressure in the turbine, thus providing greater shaft power and little exhaust
The momentum difference between the outlet and inlet core flow results in the core velocity. They differ primarily in the function of the turbine. Instead of driving a
thrust. The thrust force is given by the relation propeller, the turbine is connected to a transmission system that drives helicopter rotors.
T  m 0 u1  u0   m a 1  f  b  ue  u1  (7.16a) Other turboshaft engines that will be identified as industrial gas turbine engines are used
  for land and sea applications.
where m a  is the core mass flow rate and m 0  is the total mass flow rate. Examples for land applications are electrical generators, compressors, pumps,
Introducing the bypass ratio into Eq. (7.16a) to get auxiliary power units, pumping units for natural gas in cross-country pipelines, tanks, and
m 0  m a race cars, where power turbine drives transmission system. Examples for marine
 applications are naval vessels, cargo ships, hydrofoils, hovercrafts, and other vessels,
m a
where power turbine drives marine screw. Many aero engine manufacturers produce two
m 0  1    m a versions from an engine one as a turboprop while the other as a turboshaft engine.
T  1    m a u1  u0   m a 1  f  b  ue  u1  Examples are the PT6B and PW206 produced by Pratt & Whitney of Canada and
  AlliedSignal LTS101-600A-3 and Allison 250-C30M.
T  1    m au1  1    m au 0  m a 1  f  b  ue  m au1 An unusual example of the turboshaft principle is the Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-600
T  1    m au1  m au1  m a 1  f  b  ue  1    m au 0 engines for the STOVL F-35B. In conventional mode it operates as a turbofan, but when
powering the LiftFan, it switches partially to turboshaft mode to send power forward
T  m au1  m a 1  f  b  ue  1    m au 0 through a shaft (like a turboprop) and partially to turbojet mode to continue to send thrust
to the rear nozzle.
T  m a u1  1  f  b  ue  1    u0  Turboshaft power is measured in Shaft Horse Power (SHP), or kilowatts (KW).
 
(7.16b) 7.3.2 Examples for turboshaft manufacturers and engines
The specific thrust related to the engine core mass flow rate to get Pratt & Whitney of Canada (PWC) built a great family of its popular turboshaft
T
 u1  1  f  b  ue  1    u0 (7.16c) engine PT6 and PT6A. It powers numerous helicopters including Sikorsky S58T.
m a General Electric built several turboshaft engines, including CT58 powering Sikorsky
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 19 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 20
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
S-61, S-62, and Boeing Vertol CH-47 helicopters and the famous T700/ CT7 turboshaft 7.3.3 Thermodynamic analysis of turboshaft engines
engines, which powers Bell AH-1 W Super Cobra. A turboshaft engine also has two configurations: either the load is driven by the same
Allison Engine Company in the early 1960s built Allison Model 250, and since gas generator shaft (Fig. 7.16) or driven by the free power turbine (Fig. 7.18).
Rolls-Royce acquired Allison in 1995 became the Rolls-Royce M250, (US military The first configuration resembles a single-spool engine while the second is a
designations T63 and T703). It powered many helicopters including: Agusta A109A, Bell two-spool one. The load may be also installed either toward the cold or hot sections.
206B/L/LT, Bell 407, 230, and 430, and Boeing AH-6. Thermodynamic cycles are plotted on the temperature-entropy (T-s) diagram for single
The Lycoming company built Lycoming T-55-L-7C powering the Boeing Vertol and double spools are shown in Figs. 7.17 and 7.19.
Chinook CH-47 helicopter, Bell 309, and Piper PA-48 Enforcer [9]. It is noted that the hot gases expand in the gas turbine (single spool) or free turbine
Turbomeca built Arrius 2K1 which powers the Eurocopter EC120 Colibri used in (double spool) to nearly the ambient pressure. This provides a greater shaft power and
tourism over New York City [10]. little exhaust velocity.
Rolls-Royce built numerous turboshaft engines such as Gem powering
August-aWestland Lynx helicopter and AE1107C-Liberty turboshaft that powers Bell 7.3.4 Power generated by turboshaft engines
Boeing V-22 Osprey. Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft engine that a) Single-spool turboshaft
powered Agusta Westland Apache, AgustaWestland AW101 and NHI NH90.
Soloviev Design Bureau built one of the earliest Russian turboshaft engines, namely,
D-25 V in 1957 having 4780 kW (5500 hp) that powered the Mi-6, Mi-10, and Mi-12
helicopters.
The Ukrainian three-spool turboshaft engine D-136 Series 1 powers the MI-26
transport helicopters that are the largest in the world. Other famous Ukrainian turboshaft
engines are the TB3-117 BMA used to power the KA helicopters and the TB3-117 BM
powering the MI-17 and MI-8 AMT helicopters.

Fig. 7.16: Single-spool turboshaft engine

From Fig. 7.18, the analysis of diffuser, compressor, and combustion chamber is
typical to that in turboprop engine.

Fig. 7.17: T-s diagram for a single-spool turboshaft

cp,air  c p,compressor  cp,c  c p,cold

cp,gas  cp,turbine  cp,h  cp,hot
① Diffuser (Intake) (state 1~2)
Sonic speed:
a  cRTa
M U / a
   1 2 
T02  T01  Ta 1  c M 
 2 
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 21 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 22
 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

c p,gasT04  c p,airT03
c f  1  b 
   1 2 c 1 bQR  c p,gasT04
P02  Pa 1  diffuser c M 
 2 
④ Turbine (state 4~5)
The turbine drives both of the compressor and load. Assuming full expansion in
② Compressor (state 2~3)
turbine to the ambient pressure, then the specific power delivered to the output shaft
P03  P02 * c
h03s  h02 T03s  T02
wshaft  is expressed as
c   m awc
h03  h02 T03  T02 m awshaft   mt m a  m f  m b  twts 
mc
or
T03s m awc
1 m awshaft   mtm a 1  f  b wt 
T mc
c  02
T03 wc
1 wshaft   mt 1  f  b wt 
T02 mc
T03s With
1
T03 T02 wc  hc  h03  h02   cp,c T03  T02 
 1 
T02 c wt  ht  h04  h05   cp,t T04  T05 
wts  hts  h04  h05s   cp,t T04  T05s 
 1

T03s  p  
1  03   1
 p  c T  T05 
T03
1
T02
 1  02 t 
wt h  h05
 04  p,t 04
T T05 
 04
T02 c c wts h04  h05s c p,t T04  T05s  T04  T05s 
  1 
    1  wt  twts
T03  T02 1  
 c 
then
  wc
wshaft  mt 1  f  b wt  
The specific enthalpy rise is mc
hc  h03  h02   c p,c T03  T02  or
wc
wshaft  1  f  b  mtwt  (7.17)
③ Combustion chamber (state 3~4) mc
p04  1  Pcc  p03 where f, b is the fuel-to-air ratio and bleed ratio.
m f The mechanical efficiencies for turbine and compressor are, respectively, mt , mc .
f  is fuel-to-air ratio
m a This shaft which drives the load (here the rotor of a helicopter) experiences some
mechanical losses due to friction in gearbox and bearings, thus
m b
b is bleed air ratio wload  mwshaft (7.18)
m a
The load power is then
Energy balance
Pload  m awload (7.19)
burnerm fQR  m a  m f  m b  h04  m a  m b  h03
bm fQR  m a  m f  m b c p,gasT04  m a  m b c p,airT03
Divide by m a
b fQR  1  f  b cp,gasT04  1  b cp,airT03 

f bQR  1  b  c p,gasT04  cp,airT03   fcp,gasT04

f bQR  cp,gasT04   1  b  c p,gasT04  cp,airT03 

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 23 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 24

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
b) Double-spool turboshaft ② Compressor (state 2~3)
P03  P02 * c
h03s  h02 T03s  T02
c  
h03  h02 T03  T02
or
T03s
1
T
c  02
T03
1
T02
T03s
1
T03 T
  1  02
Fig. 7.18: Two-spool turboshaft engine T02 c
 1
The diffuser, compressor, and combustion chamber also will be treated as in T03s  p  
1  03   1
turboprop sections. T03 T02  p 
1  1  02
T02 c c
  1 

T03  T02 1 
   1 
c 
 
 
The specific enthalpy rise is
hc  h03  h02   c p,c T03  T02 

③ Combustion chamber (state 3~4)

p04  1  Pcc  p03
m f
Fig. 7.19: T-s diagram for a double-spool turboshaft f  is fuel-to-air ratio
m a
m b
b is bleed air ratio
cp,air  cp,compressor  cp,c  cp,cold m a
cp,gas  cp,turbine  cp,t  cp,h  cp,hot Energy balance
burnerm fQR  m a  m f  m b  h04  m a  m b  h03
① Diffuser (Intake) (state 1~2) bm fQR  m a  m f  m b c p,gasT04  m a  m b c p,airT03
Sonic speed:
Divide by m a
a  cRTa
M U / a b fQR  1  f  b cp,gasT04  1  b cp,airT03 
   1 2  f bQR  1  b  c p,gasT04  cp,airT03   fcp,gasT04
T02  T01  Ta 1  c M 
 2 
f bQR  cp,gasT04   1  b  c p,gasT04  cp,airT03 
c c p,gasT04  c p,airT03
   1 2 c 1 f  1  b 
P02  Pa 1  diffuser c M  bQR  c p,gasT04
 2 

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 25 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 26

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

④ Gas generator turbine (state 4~5)  1

The turbine provides sufficient energy to drive the compressor. 1

T 04
 T05  P 
  05 


Thus, the outlet temperature is obtained from the energy balance between the tT04  P04 
compressor and turbine, or 

1  T04  T05  
   1 P
m awc
m a 1  f  b  mtwt     05
mc   T
t 04  P04
wc From the isentropic efficiency of the gas generator turbine, the outlet pressure P05 
1  f  b   mt
wt 
mc is calculated from the following relation
With t
 T  T  t 1
wc  hc  h03  h02   cp,c T03  T02  P05  P04 1   04 05 
 (7.21)

  T 
wt  ht  h04  h05   c p,t T04  T05   t 04 

then ⑤ Free power turbine (state 5~6)

c p,c T03  T02  The gases are assumed to have a complete expansion to the ambient pressure.
1  f  b   c
mt p,t T 04
 T05  
mc
Then the specific power delivered to the output shaft wshaft  is expressed as
c p,c T03  T02 
T 04
 T05  
c p,t mt mc 1  f  b  m awshaft  m a  m f  m b ftw fts 

c p ,c T03  T02  m awshaft  m a 1  f  b w ft 

T04   T05
c p,t mt mc 1  f  b  wshaft  1  f  b  w ft 
or
c p,c T03  T02  With
T05  T04  (7.20) w ft  h ft  h05  h06   c p, ft T05  T06 
c p,t mt mc 1  f  b 
w fts  hfts  h05  h06s   cp, ft T05  T06s 
The outlet pressure is obtained from turbine isentropic efficiency. w ft h05  h06 c T  T06  T T06 
 ft    p,t 05  05
w fts h05  h06s c p,t T05  T06s  T05  T06s 
Isentropic efficiency of the gas generator turbine
h04  h05 w ft  ftw fts
t  1
h04  h05s
c p ,t T04  T05  T 04
 T05  then
t   wshaft  1  f  b  w ft 
c p ,t T04  T05s  T 04
 T05s 
  1 
or
 T     
1   P05   wshaft  1  f  b  w ft (7.22)
T04  T05s  T04 1  05s   T04   P  
 T04    04   where f, b is the fuel-to-air ratio and bleed ratio.
 

t 
T 04
 T05  Substitute the w ft  c p,t T05  T06  into the equation (7.22)
  1 
  P    wshaft  1  f  b  w ft  1  f  b cp, ft T05  T06 
T04 1   05  
 P04    T 

  wshaft  1  f  b c p, ftT05 1  06 
 T05 
 1
P 
1   05 


T04
 T05  For isentropic expansion of state 5 to state 6
 P04  tT04

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 27 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 28

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
 ft 1  ft 1
7.4 Propfan
T06  p6   ft p   ft
     a  7.4.1 Introduction
T05  p05   p05  A propfan is a modern type of aircraft engine related in concept to both the turboprop
Then and turbofan, but distinct from both. The engine uses a gas turbine to drive an unshielded
  ft 1  propeller like a turboprop, but the propeller itself is designed with a large number of
  p   ft  short, highly twisted blades, similar to the fan of a turbofan engine.
wshaft  1  f  b c p, ftT05 1   a  
 For this reason, the propfan has been variously described as an unducted fan (UDF),
  p05  
  open rotors (OR), or ultrahigh-bypass (UHB) turbofan. It is described as “a small
diameter, highly loaded multiple-bladed variable-pitch propulsor having swept
This shaft which drives the load (here the rotor of a helicopter) experiences some wide-chord blades with thin advanced airfoil sections, integrated with a contoured
mechanical losses due to friction in gearbox and bearings, thus nacelle”. Propfan is designed to operate with a turbine engine and using a single-stage
wload  mftwshaft (7.23) reduction gear that results in high performance. The design is intended to offer the
performance of a turbofan, with the fuel economy of a turboprop.
The most common arrangement of propfan is a two-spool gas generator and
mft is the mechanical efficiencies for free turbine aft-located gearbox driving a pusher fan. This fan produces the majority of thrust. It has a
Thus, the power delivered to the load is number of blades greater than propellers of turboprops and less than those of fan in
Pload  m awload  m a mftwshaft turbofans. Similarly its bypass ratio is also in-between of turbofan and turboprop engines.
  ft 1 
7.4.2 Historical hints
  p   ft  During the 1970s due to the oil crisis in 1973, several projects for developing
Pload 
 m a mft 1  f  b c p, ftT05 1   a   (7.24)
 propfans or unducted fan (UDF) were introduced. The propfan concept was first revealed
  p05   by Carl Rohrbach and Bruce Metzger of the Hamilton Standard Division of United
 
Technologies in 1975 and was patented by Robert Cornell and Carl Rohrbach of
Hamilton Standard in 1979. Later work by General Electric on similar propulsors was
done under the name unducted fan, which was a modified turbofan engine, with the fan
placed outside the engine nacelle on the same axis as the compressor blades.
Perhaps one of the most significant series of propfan studies was conducted during
the late 1970s and early 1980s. This effort culminated in flight tests of the McDonnell
Douglas MD-UHB demo aircraft based on the MD-81 airframe. The MD-UHB was used
to evaluate advanced, experimental propulsion technologies designed to offer airlines
significant improvements in fuel efficiency and lower operational costs.
The propfan concept was intended to deliver 35% better fuel efficiency than
contemporary turbofans. In static and air tests on a modified DC-9, propfans reached a
30% improvement. This efficiency comes at a price, as one of the major problems with
the propfan is noise, particularly in an era where aircraft are required to comply with
increasingly strict Stage III and Stage IV noise limitations.
GE introduced its Unducted Fan (UDF) GE36 which featured an aft-mounted
open-rotor fan system with two rows of counter-rotating composite fan blades during the
mid-1980s. It is of the pusher configuration. The core was based on a GE F404 military
turbofan. Exhaust gases were discharged through a seven-stage low-pressure (LP)
turbine; each stator ring was designed to move freely in the opposite direction to that of
the rotors. The turbine rotors drive one propeller, while the other prop is connected to the
“unearthed” turbine stators and rotates in the opposite direction. So, in effect, the power
turbine has 14 stages (Fig. 7.22).

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 29 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 30

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)

Fig. 7.22 Open rotor with counter-rotation achieved via statorless LP turbine
The GE36 flew on the Boeing 727 and MD-80 aircraft and enabled speeds of around
Mach 0.75. McDonnell Douglas developed a proof-of-concept aircraft by modifying their
MD-80. They removed the JT8D turbofan engine from the left side of the fuselage and
replaced it with the GE36 (Fig. 7.22).
A number of test flights were conducted which proved the airworthiness,
aerodynamic characteristics, and noise signature of the design. The test and marketing
flights of the GE-outfitted “Demo Aircraft” concluded in 1988, demonstrating a 30%
reduction in fuel burn over turbofan-powered MD-80, full Stage III noise compliance,
and low levels of interior noise/vibration. Due to jet-fuel price drops and shifting
marketing priorities, Douglas shelved the program the following year. Fig. 7.23 Unducted fan installed in MD-80
In the 1980s, Allison collaborated with Pratt & Whitney on demonstrating the The Progress D-27 propfan (Fig. 7.25), developed in the USSR, is even more
578-DX propfan, having a reduction gearbox between the LP turbine and the propfan conventional in layout, with the propfan blades at the front of the engine in a tractor
blades. The 578-DX was successfully flight tested on a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (Fig. configuration. It is used for propelling Antonov An-180 and An-70 aircrafts in the 1990s.
7.24). It is worth mentioning that the only flying aircraft powered by a propfan engine is
AN-70.
Rolls-Royce is testing its contra-rotating propfan RB3011 which is planned to fly by
2020.
7.4.3 Classifications of propfans
There are two main types of propfans:
a) Tractor type
b) Pusher type

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 31 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 32

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
Fig. 7.24: Allison P&W 578DX geared propfan
① Tractor (or puller)-type propfan is similar to forward fan with the fan placed outside
the engine nacelle (Fig. 7.23). Propfans are normally of the wing installation type.
Also such arrangement dictates a high-wing design.
This type is next divided into: (A). Single (B). Contra-rotating (or counter-rotating)
An example is the contra-rotating propfan installed to the aircraft AN-70 (Fig. 7.26).
The forward rotor is 8 bladed, while the rear is six bladed.
② Pusher-type propfan is similar to the aft fan where the fan is coupled to the turbine. It
is always of the contra-rotating type (Fig. 7.27). The two fan rows are driven by free
power turbine. This type would be more elegant, as the engines would be placed
behind the rear pressure bulkhead in the fuselage, minimizing noise. It also would
allow for an aerodynamically “clean” wing.

Fig. 7.26 Tractor-type propfan

Propfan engines have the highest propulsive efficiency, the potential to significantly
reduce fuel consumption and emission relative to state-of-art high-bypass ratio geared
turbofan engines [11] and [12]. Moreover, in terms of benefits to the aircraft operator and
the environmental impact, relative to today’s aircraft, a future open-rotor-powered
aircraft could save approximately $3 million and 10,000 tons of C02 per year per aircraft.
Further consideration needs to be given to the trade-off between fuel burn (global) and
noise (local).

Fig. 7.25 AN-70 aircraft powered by tractor-type contra-rotating propfan

7.4.4 Comparisons between turboprop, propfan, and turbofan
Propfan engines have the best ever known propulsive efficiency. Single-rotation
propfan engines have propulsive efficiency around 80%, while contra-rotating propfan
ones have higher efficiency close to 90%. The main features of the propfan engines
versus both turboprop and turbofan engines are given in the following Table 7.1.

Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 33 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 34

 Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan) Lecture notes: (Chapter 7: Shaft engines: turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan)
Blade shape Nearly straight Swept or Swept
scimitar-like profile
Maximum thickness Thick Thinner Thinnest
Tip speed Subsonic Supersonic Supersonic
BPR Nearly 50 25 or more 4-12
Propulsive efficiency High Higher Lower
ESFC(kg/hp.h) 0.19-0.23 0.17 -
Mach number 0.5-0.6 0.68 0.9
Cruise altitude 6000 m 11,000 m 11,000

Conclusion
Detailed analyses for three shaft engines, namely, turboprop, turboshaft, and propfan, are
given.
Turboprop engines were invented after turbojet to develop a better propulsive
efficiency. It is used in bush, commuter, and some heavy transport aircrafts. Propeller
provides most of the power, while exhaust gases (having very low speeds) generated
about 15% of total power. Propeller design is the same as those coupled to piston
engines. So the only solved example for the giant 8-blades propeller in Airbus A400
aircraft is given. Turboshaft engines are mostly used as prime mover for helicopters. Few
are seen in tanks and maritime applications. Turboshaft engines have similar structure to
turboprops. Both couple their gas generator to the load through a reduction gearbox
(mostly of the planetary type). The load in turboprop is the propeller, while in turboshaft
is the helicopter rotor.
Moreover, both turboprop and turboshaft engines are either single-or double-spool
engines. Few are triple spool. Hovering of helicopters close to ground resembles an
Fig. 7.27 Typical pusher propfan
important feature, so it was treated as a solved example. Speed of air vehicles powered by
However, open rotors present many technological challenges [13] and [14],
both engine types are limited to low to moderate subsonic values.
including:
Propfan engines have similarities with both turbofan and turboprop engines. It
 Noise and vibration (both inside and outside the aircraft cabin)
combines their best features of high propulsive efficiency and low fuel consumption. R &
 Structural reinforcement of the fuselage and wings D for these engines started after the oil crisis of 1973. Several US companies (GE, P&W,
 Airworthiness considerations (blade-off, etc.) and Allison) cooperated to design and manufacture such efficient engines. It proved
 Engine installation and mounting promising features but were not manufactured outside prototype and testing numbers.
 Gearbox cooling and reliability The only propfan engine produced in mass numbers is the Russian D-27 engine. A
 Design of efficient counter-rotating components detailed example describing the thermo-dynamic behavior and performance analysis of a
 Competing technologies: The efficiency of current technology engines is pushing three-spool propfan is given.
improving at an average of 1% a year-which means traditional turbofan engines
available in 2020 are likely to be at least 11% more efficient than 2010
production models, without any major technology risk. Meanwhile, the Pratt &
Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan could provide a 22-23% fuel efficiency gain
by 2017, according to the company, while the CFM International non-open-rotor
LEAP-X design could provide 16% lower fuel consumption than the CFM56-7
by 2018. Some manufacturers are skeptical about open-rotor technology.
 Slower aircraft operating speeds: An open-rotor-powered aircraft is likely to have
a cruising speed 5-10% slower than a turbofan-powered aircraft.
Table 7.1 Comparison between Turboprop, Propfan and Turbofan (HBPR) engines
Engine Turboprop Propfan Turbofan (HBPR)
Number of blades 3-6 8-12 20-30
Diameter Large Smaller Smallest
Power/Square of diameter Small Larger -
Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 35 Dr. Tran Tien Anh@HCMUT 36