Turboshaft

This engine makes power.

Hot gas flows through the engine. This gas turns a rod. The rod makes things move.

These engines are small and light. They are very reliable too. They can use many kinds of fuel. This includes gas and diesel.

Many big machines use them. Helicopters use them to fly. Some tanks and boats use them too.

They help us move in many ways.

A turboshaft is a special kind of engine. It is a gas turbine. This type of engine makes power to turn a shaft.

Most engines make thrust to push things forward. A turboshaft is different. It is made to turn a rod to move parts. It has two main parts. The first part is the gas generator. This part makes hot, moving gas. The second part is the power section. It uses the hot gas to turn a shaft.

Many engines have a free power turbine. This means the two parts can spin at different speeds. This helps the machine work well. It also saves weight.

These engines are small and light. They are also very reliable. They can run on many fuels. This includes petrol, diesel, and fuel for planes.

Many machines use them. Large helicopters use these engines to fly. Some tanks and boats use them too. The T-80 tank was the first tank to use a gas turbine as its main engine. These engines have fewer parts than older engines. They also make less noise.

A turboshaft is a special kind of engine called a gas turbine. Most jet engines are made to create thrust to push a plane forward. A turboshaft is different because it is made to create shaft horsepower. This means the engine turns a rod to move other parts.

These engines are very useful for many jobs. They are small and light, but they can provide high power for a long time. They are also very reliable for the machines that use them.

To understand how it works, think of the engine in two main parts. The first part is the gas generator. It uses a compressor, fuel nozzles, and ignitors to make hot, expanding gases.

The second part is the power section. The hot gases from the generator flow into the power section to turn more turbines. These turbines are connected to a gear reduction system and a shaft output. In many designs, these two parts are separate. This is called a free power turbine, and it lets the parts spin at different speeds.

People have been working with these engines for a long time. In 1948, a firm called Turbomeca built the first French-designed turbine engine. It was called the 782 and made 100 shaft horsepower. Later, in 1950, they made a larger engine called the Artouste. On December 11, 1951, a Boeing T50 engine helped a Kaman K-225 synchropter fly. This was the first time a helicopter ever flew using a turboshaft engine.

Many different machines use these engines today. The T-80 tank used a gas turbine as its main engine starting in 1976. The US Army has used the M1 Abrams tank with a gas turbine since 1980. Some very large helicopters use more than one engine to fly. The Mil Mi-26 uses two Lotarev D-136 engines that make 11,400 hp each. The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion uses three General Electric T64 engines. Each of those engines makes 4,380 hp.

Turboshaft engines are very different from the piston engines in most cars. They have fewer parts, which makes them very reliable. They can also run on almost any fuel, like petrol, diesel, or aviation fuel. However, they do use more fuel than the diesel engines found in most modern tanks. They are also used in amazing things like the F-35B Lightning II jet. That plane can switch to turboshaft mode to send 29,000 horsepower to a lift system.

A turboshaft is a specialized type of gas turbine engine. Most jet engines are designed to produce jet thrust to push an aircraft forward. A turboshaft is optimized to produce shaft horsepower instead. This means the engine focuses on turning a mechanical shaft to provide power.

These engines are vital for machines requiring high power output and reliability. They are valued because they are small and lightweight for the energy they provide.

To understand the mechanism, you can view the engine as two main assemblies. The first assembly is the gas generator. This part contains a compressor, combustion chambers with fuel nozzles, and ignitors. It also includes one or more stages of turbine. The gas generator works to create hot, expanding gases. These gases are then sent to the second assembly, known as the power section.

The power section consists of additional turbine stages, a gear reduction system, and the shaft output. The expanding gases drive these turbines to create mechanical power.

Many modern designs use a specific setup called a free power turbine. In these engines, the gas generator and the power section are mechanically separate. This separation allows the two parts to rotate at different speeds. Each part spins at a speed that is best for its specific conditions. This design is very useful for vehicles. It allows engineers to avoid the high cost and weight of complex clutches or multiple-ratio transmissions.

Turboshaft technology has a long history of development. In 1948, the French firm Turbomeca built the 782 engine. This was the first French-designed turbine and produced 100 shaft horsepower. In 1950, they developed the larger Artouste engine. A major milestone occurred on December 11, 1951. On that date, a Boeing T50 turboshaft powered a Kaman K-225 synchropter. This was the first time a helicopter of any type flew using a turboshaft engine.

These engines are used in many heavy-duty machines. Large helicopters often require multiple engines to operate safely. For example, the Mil Mi-26 uses two Lotarev D-136 engines. Each of those engines produces 11,400 hp. The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion uses three General Electric T64 engines. Each T64 engine produces 4,380 hp.

Such high power is necessary for lifting heavy loads in the air.

Military vehicles also utilize gas turbine technology. The Soviet T-80 tank entered service in 1976 as the first tank to use a gas turbine as its main engine. The US Army has operated the M1 Abrams tank with a gas turbine since 1980. Some tanks use them differently, like the Swedish Stridsvagn 103. That tank used a gas turbine as a secondary "sprint" engine to help its primary piston engine.

These engines are reliable and can run on petrol, diesel, or aviation fuels.

There are interesting connections between different types of engines. The Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-600 is a unique example. It is a turbofan engine used for the STOVL Lockheed F-35B Lightning II. In normal flight, it works as a turbofan. However, it can switch partially to turboshaft mode. In this mode, it sends 29,000 horsepower through a shaft to power the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem. This allows the jet to perform special vertical maneuvers.