Build a cheap turbofan

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Revision as of 19:51, 26 January 2010 by Vincent (talk | contribs) (constraints)
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How to build a cheap (~ $150) turbofan?

Turbofan advantages over other propelling ways is that they provide enough trust to climb at high altitude, possibly at attractive speed, and that they are not much fuel-greedy and thus can be running for some time with limited extra-weight.

It however has the big disadvantage to be very complicated to manufacture as well as very expensive. On this page, we will explore how costs can be reduced, which will be the key for decision to use turbofans or not. They will have to be build in some way, because it will have to be tailored to our needs, which are quite unusual.

General principes

Turbofan blades are made of nickel-based superalloys.

Our design

Cooling might be needed if low cost metals are used.

Startup can be done at ground manually (with compressed air for example).

Engine must be designed with sensors, at least to determine if the engine is running properly or if it's under failure. Engine temperature should be used too.

External hardware

Fuel tanks in the wings, fuel pumps, fuel lines, and engine mounting will have to be considered if turbofans are used.