Have you heard of propelling nozzles? They are commonly found on airplanes. Airplanes that feature one or more jet engines will typically have a propelling nozzle for each of their respective engines. Without this component, they wouldn’t be able to generate the thrust needed to propel them through the air. What is a propelling nozzle exactly, and how does it work?
Overview of Propelling Nozzles
A propelling nozzle is exactly what it sounds like: a nozzle that generates a propulsive force, thus propelling airplanes through the air. Most commercial airplanes, of course, aren’t powered by propellers. While there are plenty of small airplanes that do, in fact, have a propeller system, larger commercial airplanes are powered by jet engines. These jet engines require the use of a propelling nozzle to function as intended.
Propelling nozzles are the driving force behind propulsion. For airplanes with one or more jet engines, propelling nozzles are used to generate propulsion. Propelling nozzles typically consist of a cone-like shape. As jet engines produce combustion gases, it will travel through the propelling nozzles before behind ejected out of the back of the engines.
How Propelling Nozzles Work
Propelling nozzles work by forcing the exhaust gases produced by a jet engine to travel through a narrow passage. This narrow passage constricts and pressures the exhaust gases. Jet engines, of course, produce exhaust gases as a byproduct of combustion. They burn a mixture of jet fuel and air inside of a combustion chamber. As these elements burn, exhaust gases are produced. The exhaust gases will shoot out of the propelling nozzle found at the rear of the engine, thereby propelling the airplane forward.
There are several different types of propelling nozzles. Fixed-area propelling nozzles are characterized by a fixed size and shape. There are also low area ratio propelling nozzles as well as ejector propelling nozzles. Different propelling nozzles work in different ways. Nonetheless, they are all designed to pressurize the combustion gases produced by jet engines. You can find propelling nozzles on nearly all airplanes that feature one or more jet engines.
In Conclusion
Propelling nozzles are simple components that play an important part in the function of all jet engines. When jet engines produce combustion gases, they must eject those gases through a propelling nozzle. Propelling nozzles consist of narrow passages that are designed to constrict and pressurize the combustion gases. The end result is propulsion that moves the airplane forward and through the air.
