How a Turbine Turns Flame into Thrust: Engineers Reveal the Working Principle of a Turbojet Engine

In a turbojet engine, the compressor and fan are often compared to the "lungs," and the combustion chamber to the "heart." However, it is the turbine that acts as a powerful internal "power plant," converting the energy of hot gases into rotational motion, without which the operation of the entire unit is impossible.

How an Axial Turbine Works

Modern aircraft engines predominantly use axial turbines, where the gas flow moves parallel to the axis of rotation. Each stage of such a turbine is a coordinated pair:

• Nozzle guide vane (stator) — a stationary ring of blades that receives gas from the combustion chamber, accelerates it, and directs it at a precise angle onto the working blades.
• Rotor — a rotating disk with blades fixed on a shaft. Under the pressure of the gas flow, it begins to rotate, transferring torque further along the system.

In essence, the nozzle guide vane forms and focuses the "fiery flow," and the rotor effectively "catches" it, converting kinetic and thermal energy into mechanical work.

Where Does the Turbine's Energy Go?

All the power taken from the turbine shaft is directed to three key tasks:

• driving the compressor to compress incoming air;
• rotating the fan — especially in turbofan engines, where the main thrust is created by the external circuit;
• ensuring the operation of auxiliary systems: generators, hydraulic pumps, and other units.

Extreme Operating Conditions

The turbine's working environment is one of the most aggressive in engineering:

• the gas temperature reaches 1700 °C, which exceeds the melting point of most metals;
• the rotational speed is measured in tens of thousands of revolutions per minute, creating colossal centrifugal loads;
• the structure is subjected to constant thermal shocks, vibrations, and thermal deformations.

Innovative Solutions for Survival in Fire

To prevent turbine blades from being destroyed in such conditions, engineers use advanced technologies:

• Heat-resistant superalloys capable of maintaining strength at extreme temperatures;
• Complex internal cooling systems: cooled air, drawn from intermediate stages of the compressor, is supplied through microscopic channels inside the blades;
• Thermal barrier coatings — ceramic coatings that act as a heat-insulating shield;
• Single-crystal structure of the blades, eliminating grain boundaries and increasing resistance to creep and fatigue.

These solutions allow the turbine not only to work but also to function reliably in conditions close to the limit of the physical capabilities of materials.

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