Learning Module 01:
History of Gas Turbine Engines
PRINCIPLE OF JET PROPULSION
- ▸ Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every force acting on a body, there is an opposite and equal reaction.
- ▸ Jet propulsion is the force which is generated in the opposite direction to that of a discharge of fluid under pressure, escaping through an opening.
- ▸ Whatever form the device utilizes for jet propulsion, it is essentially a reaction engine that operates according to Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion.
HISTORY OF JET PROPULSION
A writer and mathematician named Hero devised a toy that used the reaction principle. The toy, called the aeolipile, consisted of a covered kettle of water that was heated to produce steam.
The first patent covering a gas turbine was granted to John Barber of England. It included all the essential elements of the modern gas turbine except that it had a reciprocating-type compressor.
The history of mechanical jet propulsion began in 1900, when Dr. Sanford Moss applied some of his concepts in the development of the turbo-supercharger. This unique supercharger consisted of a small turbine wheel that was driven by exhaust gases. The turbine was then used to drive a supercharger.
Research done by Dr. Moss influenced Frank Whittle of England in the development of what became the first successful turbojet engine.