Why Don’t Jet Engines Melt?

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Turbine blades have been refined and perfected to the point where they
operated right at the edge of what is physically possible in fact they
run hotter than it's own melting point...

You'll be amazed in the number of complex steps that go into manufacturing
turbine blades...

 
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My career was gas turbine heat transfer cooling of disks, blades, vanes and more. I also wrote software to perform the analysis. Retired ~10 years ago and started my career using punch cards saved in large boxes. Cooled airfoils had the greatest impact on gas turbine development cost and time from engine concept to FAA certification. I suspect it still does.
 
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Well...During WW2 the German ME262 engines had a service life of 25 hours. So there's that. Guess things have improved. 😀
 
Remember, there are all sorts of gas turbine engines. Some small older APU's (aux power unit) use radial inflow turbines like a turbocharger. These don't have any form of blade cooling and yet can live a very long life, many thousands of hours. In recent times, the Solar T62 has been adapted for use on the Experimental Mosquito helicopter!! The turbine is almost 6 inches in diameter. Most make up to 90HP, but later versions can make up to 150HP. The 2000 hour turbine wheel life is managed by not exceeding 800ºC (1470ºF) for more than a few seconds. Takes about 900ºC to make the full 150HP, and life is reduced to hundreds of hours.

images


E6jNrPwvHMqw9kKTYhY3ylMAkXO_CTBUfHFJHtcYr5xB1cbQEfefz1uvZFLRw-jyaepiVAoG_QdXv9sRNyPHapESzNqIXqqzfK-T1qGjh_bhGx-95t9h6rssBuHzZQYJgdwmxQ

xet-model-5613ea14.jpeg
 
Turbine blades have been refined and perfected to the point where they
operated right at the edge of what is physically possible in fact they
run hotter than it's own melting point...

You'll be amazed in the number of complex steps that go into manufacturing
turbine blades...


It's amazing as the exhaust gets insanely hot.
 
Remember, there are all sorts of gas turbine engines. Some small older APU's (aux power unit) use radial inflow turbines like a turbocharger. These don't have any form of blade cooling and yet can live a very long life, many thousands of hours. In recent times, the Solar T62 has been adapted for use on the Experimental Mosquito helicopter!! The turbine is almost 6 inches in diameter. Most make up to 90HP, but later versions can make up to 150HP. The 2000 hour turbine wheel life is managed by not exceeding 800ºC (1470ºF) for more than a few seconds. Takes about 900ºC to make the full 150HP, and life is reduced to hundreds of hours.

images


E6jNrPwvHMqw9kKTYhY3ylMAkXO_CTBUfHFJHtcYr5xB1cbQEfefz1uvZFLRw-jyaepiVAoG_QdXv9sRNyPHapESzNqIXqqzfK-T1qGjh_bhGx-95t9h6rssBuHzZQYJgdwmxQ

xet-model-5613ea14.jpeg
Helicycle.webp

My neighbor.
 
The PW 815GA used on the Gulfstream G600 has a 965°C (1,769°F) ITT limit, with a 20 second 1000ºC limit

The bypass ratio, fan to core, is about 5.5 to 1 (by memory so if I'm incorrect, don't hang me) and I think the turbine temp is measured somewhere a bit lower in temp than the turbine inlet temp. Interstage turbine temp or ITT.

Also of note, the relatively high bypass (for a corporate jet engine) ratio results in a slight lack of high speed and high altitude performance when compared to the older Rolls Royce designs. The RR engines have about a 4 to 1 bypass ratio and fewer low pressure turbine stages. Resulting in much more heat out the back, and higher discharge velocity (better speed at altitude).

The Pratt powered Gulfstream jets have phenomenal takeoff and climb performance, with Mach 0.87 to 0.90 climb speeds. But performance trails off a bit by FL470 and is dead by FL510.




TLDR:

2 different philosophies.
The RR BR710/725 are older, well honed designs. Mach 0.92 at FL490 is possible
The PW 815 GA uses smaller core, higher bypass, and runs harder. Mach 0.88 at FL490 is barely possible. Uses more fuel.


Pratt Whitney, Newer higher bypass, less efficient... :
maxresdefault.jpg


Rolls Royce BR725 More conventional, lower bypass, faster, more efficient:
4521dd372066764bef2ec302cd6f4ecd.png
 
The blades that are subjected high heat are hollow and relatively cool air is forced into them. The leading edge of these blades have holes where the cool air exits to the outside and flows back along the outer surface of the blade insulating the blade from extreme heat.
 
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