CHARACTERIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SR-30 TURBOJET ENGINE

The SR-30 is a small-scale, turbojet engine which sounds and smells like a real engine used to fly commercial aircraft. With an overall length of less than 2.0 feet and an average diameter of 6.5 inches, the SR-30 is equipped with an inlet nozzle, radial compressor, counter-flow combustion chamber, turbine, and exhaust nozzle. Although it can operate on various fuels, diesel fuel is used in the studies described here, and each component is instrumented with thermocouples and pressure gages to allow a complete thermodynamic evaluation. Screaming along at 80,000 rpm and sending out exhaust gas at 500 mph, the SR-30 engine is fun science for students! However, since the SR-30 was essentially designed for one-dimensional measurement and flow analysis, students quickly learn the limitations of these assumptions.