Testing turbines to save energy
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - 06:50
in Physics & Chemistry
They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. But a little knowledge can also be comforting. For anyone who has sat on a jet airplane at takeoff, tense and sweaty-palmed, wondering how in the world this gigantic assemblage will manage to climb into the sky and stay up, here is a little knowledge: That plane is propelled by a gas turbine engine, which is ideal for jet aircraft because of its excellent power-to-weight ratio—it's a relatively small turbine engine that produces a lot of power for its light weight.