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This allows operation at a much higher altitude than a normal engine would allow. The idea behind a turborocket is to supplement the atmospheric oxygen with an onboard supply. Once a jet engine goes high enough in an atmosphere, there is insufficient oxygen to burn the jet fuel. The turbine exhaust gases mix with the fan discharge air, and combust with the air from the compressor before exhausting through a convergent-divergent propelling nozzle. It typically comprises a multi-stage fan driven by a turbine, which is driven by the hot gases exhausting from a series of small rocket-like motors mounted around the turbine inlet. The air turborocket fills a niche (in terms of cost, reliability, ruggedness, and duration of thrust) between the solid-fuel rocket motor and gas turbine engine for missile applications.Ī turborocket is a type of aircraft engine combining elements of a jet engine and a rocket. In addition, it provides thrust throughout a much wider speed range than a ramjet, yet is much cheaper and easier to control than a gas turbine engine. For the same carried mass of propellant as a rocket motor, the overall output of the air turborocket is much higher. The benefit of this setup is increased specific impulse over that of a rocket. As there is no consensus on which names apply to which specific concepts, various sources may use the same name for two different concepts. The various types generally differ in how the gas generator section of the engine functions.Īir turborockets are often referred to as turboramjets, turboramjet rockets, turborocket expanders, and many others. There are many different types of air turborockets.
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This mixture is then combusted before leaving the device through a nozzle and creating thrust. The basic layout includes a gas generator, which produces high pressure gas, that drives a turbine/compressor assembly which compresses atmospheric air into a combustion chamber. The air turborocket is a form of combined-cycle jet engine. Nord 1500 Griffon II, which was powered by a turbojet-ramjet combination, a precursor to later turborocket designs.
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