Do jet engines need oxygen?

Jet engines are air breathers. They take in air (which contains oxygen needed for combustion), mix it with fuel, burn it to increase the pressure, and exhaust the spent gases out the back at a high rate of speed.

Where does a jet engine get its oxygen from?

Early jet engines worked much like a rocket engine, creating a hot exhaust gas that was passed through a nozzle to produce thrust. But unlike the rocket engine, which must carry its oxygen for combustion, the turbine engine gets its oxygen from the surrounding air.

How do jet engines work in low oxygen?

They do still need oxygen, though, even at for low power levels. Fortunately, aircraft engineers have designed engines that solve this dilemma. Jet engines compress the air internally, making it much thicker and providing adequate oxygen for combustion.

Why do you need oxygen in a jet?

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The cruise portion of most airline flights take place between 30,000 and 40,000 feet. Because the time of useful consciousness for a human at those altitudes is just moments, the passengers and crew need a way to get sufficient oxygen pressure.

Do jet engines need air to work?

Jet engines, which are also called gas turbines, work by sucking air into the front of the engine using a fan. From there, the engine compresses the air, mixes fuel with it, ignites the fuel/air mixture, and shoots it out the back of the engine, creating thrust.

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Can a jet fly without air?

Without the presence of air, neither a large airplane nor a small airplane will produce lift. There's simply no air to travel over and under an airplane's wings in space, which is a main reason airplanes can't fly in space. Another reason airplanes can't fly in space is because they require air to generate combustion.

Why don't jet engines stop in rain?

Even on jet engines that do not feature bypass systems, the rain is unlikely to disrupt the combustion process. The extraordinarily high temperature of the engine's combustion chamber, sometimes reaching 900 °C (1,650 °F), converts the incoming water into steam with little influence on the engine's power output.

Do fighter pilots breathe 100% oxygen?

Today's fighter pilots therefore operate in cabins pressurized according to a pressurization schedule,15 they breathe up to 100% oxygen,15 and they wear and use pressure breathing equipment.

Why do u2 pilots breathe pure oxygen?

The pressure in a U-2 cockpit at typical mission altitude is equivalent to the atmosphere at 29,000 feet—as high as the summit of Mt. Everest. To cope, U-2 pilots breathe pure oxygen for an hour before their flight and wear a kind of pressurized spacesuit. Pre-breathing oxygen helps purge nitrogen from their bodies.

How do fighter pilots get oxygen?

Oxygen masks introduce positive-pressure and force air into the lungs, which can counter the effects of hypoxia caused by rising altitudes and G-force.

Do jet engines like cold air?

Generally, both turbine and internal combustion/reciprocating piston engines run more efficiently in cold air because colder air allows the engine to use a greater mass of air/fuel mixture in the same intake volume. That translates into more power.

At what altitude do jet engines stop working?

Without LOX or rocket assistance, the limit is around 140,000 feet (40 km) at around Mach 15.

How do jet engines get oxygen to burn fuel?

One difference between rockets and jets is found in the type of fuel they burn. Jet engines are air breathers. They take in air (which contains oxygen needed for combustion), mix it with fuel, burn it to increase the pressure, and exhaust the spent gases out the back at a high rate of speed.

Do jets carry their own supply of oxygen?

A jet engine uses the surrounding air for its oxygen supply and so is Unsutable for motion in space. 2. A rocket carries its own supply of oxygen in the gas form, and fuel.

How long can a jet engine run continuously?

Jet engines can run for as long as they have fuel and oil to lubricate them. There have been reported missions with the B2 flying over 24 hours in one mission. The crew is able to take turns sleeping when appropriate.

Where does the US get its jet fuel from?

Jet fuels are primarily derived from crude oil, the common name for liquid petroleum. These jet fuels can be referred to as petroleum-derived jet fuels. Jet fuels can also originate from an organic material found in shale, called kerogen or petroleum solids: that can be converted by heat to shale oil.

What is the highest a pilot can fly without oxygen on board?

For Part 91 General Aviation operations the required flight crew must use supplemental oxygen for any portion of the flight that exceeds 30 minutes above a cabin pressure altitude of 12,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) up to and including 14,000 feet (MSL).

Can humans breathe pure O2?

Pure oxygen can be deadly. Our blood has evolved to capture the oxygen we breathe in and bind it safely to the transport molecule called haemoglobin. If you breathe air with a much higher than normal O2 concentration, the oxygen in the lungs overwhelms the blood's ability to carry it away.

Why do Blue Angel pilots not wear oxygen masks?

Why do the Blue Angels not wear oxygen masks? They don't during shows, but they do during ferrying. The show altitudes are well below the altitudes that require oxygen.

What would happen if you only breathed pure oxygen?

Breathing 100 percent oxygen at normal pressure can cause acute oxygen poisoning, which can lead to all sorts of symptoms, including: Fluid in the lungs, hyperventilation or labored breathing. Chest pains, mild burning on inhalation and uncontrollable coughing (sometimes with blood)

What would happen if the air we breathe was 100% oxygen?

Breathing an atmosphere of pure oxygen would damage the delicate tissues and blood vessels in our lungs, so it's a good thing that most of our atmosphere is nitrogen. Bacteria convert nitrogen gas into a dissolved form of nitrogen that plants can take up through their roots.

Can a pilot turn off oxygen to passengers?

The answer depends on what kind of aircraft you're talking about, and how much control the crew has over the pressurization systems. For example, in theory you could very well reduce or completely shut off the air to the cabin on a 777. This could also be done by a single crew member alone.

Why do jets dump fuel in the air?

Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of the intended destination (emergency landing) to reduce the aircraft's weight.

What happens if a jet runs out of fuel?

Without fuel, the engines won't work. If the plane runs out of fuel while in the air, the plane must be refuelled. Otherwise, the plane will crash. Sometimes there are undesirable situations, and there are examples of this situation in the history of aviation.

How long can a jet fly for without engines?

A passenger aircraft will glide perfectly well even if all its engines have failed, it won't simply fall out the sky. Infact it can fly for around 60 miles if it loses its engines at a typical cruise altitude of 36,000ft.