How does burning jet fuel create thrust?

Baloo55th

Very simplified: expansion. When the fuel burns, it creates a lot of heat and that causes the air to expand. As it's happening in a tube, it has to expand along the tube and the rush of hot air gives the thrust. (There are ways of making sure it doesn't go the wrong way, such as having a big fan at the front to push air in. This is driven by a turbine at the other end when the engine is running.) If you want to get really technical (but easy to understand) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_engine Mar 23 06, 5:39 AM

Baloo55th

I know they usually say "Don't try this at home..." but http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/ Mar 23 06, 5:52 AM

xfacilitatorx

As in as rocket, directional expansion. In an explosion mass is propelled outward in all directions. When this expansion is directed and tailored, the part of the engine that is doing the redirecting of this expansion energy is a 'backstop' (see Newtons third law of energy. 'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction)and the force exerted by the explosion can go no further so something has to give way to the energy. It is then that the 'backstop' is acted on by the expansion energy and the backstop is forced in the direction of the explosion. The 'backstop' is attached to the rest of the engine which is attached to the vehicle which is propelled in the direction of the backstop resistance. You have seen in movies a car exploding and it goes flying up into the air 10 or 15 feet? Well this is the same principle. On a turbo fan jet engine, the majority of the thrust is from the negative vacuum pressure created by the 'suction' of the giant fan blade on the front of the engine. Jet planes today are 'sucked' forward through the air moreso than pushed. The jet fuel is used to power a turbine to turn this great fan. http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/Animation/turbtyp/ettf.html http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/Animation/turbtyp/ettf.html Here is another useful site. http://science.howstuffworks.com/question374.htm Mar 23 06, 12:10 PM

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