Knowra Turboprop Turboprop A turboprop is an aircraft propulsion system in which a gas turbine drives a propeller, converting most of the engine’s output into shaft power rather than jet thrust.
Gas turbine : A rotary engine that extracts energy from continuously flowing combustion gases to produce shaft power or thrust. The turboprop’s core engine is a gas turbine that supplies power to the propeller.
Turbojet : A gas-turbine engine that produces thrust primarily by accelerating its exhaust. A turbojet uses exhaust momentum for thrust instead of transferring most engine power to a propeller.
Regional airliner : A passenger aircraft designed for relatively short routes and smaller markets than majorline airliners. Turboprops commonly serve regional routes where their efficiency and runway access suit lower passenger volumes.
Brayton cycle : A thermodynamic cycle describing idealized energy conversion in gas turbines. The compressor, combustor, and turbine in a turboprop operate through the Brayton cycle.
Aircraft noise : Sound produced by aircraft engines, propellers, and airflow during operation. The propeller’s rotating blades make turboprop noise a distinctive design and community concern.
Turboprop reduction gearbox : A gearbox that lowers turbine-shaft speed to a suitable speed for driving a propeller. Turbines turn faster than propellers can operate efficiently, so this gearbox matches their speeds.
Turbofan : A gas-turbine engine in which a fan accelerates bypass air to produce thrust. Like a turboprop, a turbofan uses a turbine to drive an air-moving device, but the fan is ducted.
Short takeoff and landing aircraft : An aircraft designed to take off or land in unusually short distances. Turboprop-powered aircraft often serve short or unimproved runways where propeller performance is valuable.
Gas generator : The compressor, combustor, and turbine assembly that produces a high-energy gas flow in a gas turbine. It creates the hot, pressurized flow that powers the turboprop’s power turbine.
Specific fuel consumption : A measure of fuel consumed per unit of useful engine output over time. Turboprops’ fuel use relative to shaft power helps explain their economy on short, slower routes.
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