While aircraft engines are advanced apparatuses that are self-sustaining when in operation, they often require assistance to efficiently start up. While the process may seem mysterious to the average passenger, understanding the basics of how an aircraft starts its engines can provide a fascinating insight into the marvels of aviation technology. In this blog, we will explore the essential components and processes which permit a piston-powered engine to kick off operations.
Modern turbine engines are powerful apparatuses, capable of compressing and igniting fuel-and-air mixtures for the means of achieving propulsion and heavier-than-air flight. As ignition and combustion will constantly be occurring within a turbine engine during standard operations, such assemblies regularly heat up to high temperatures that must be controlled for the safety of the system and its surrounding components. To mitigate intense levels of heat, turbine or jet engine assemblies feature reliable cooling systems.
Upon takeoff, aircraft can make a number of noises that can disturb unknowing residents in the area around an airport. Engine noise can be sourced from the fan, compressor, or the air discharge from the core of the engine; however, the noise generated by the engine exhaust is the loudest. While not all the noise produced by aircraft can be mitigated, aerospace engineers have crafted a solution: noise suppressors. Noise suppressors are commonly an integral, airborne part of the aircraft engine installation or engine exhaust nozzle.
