How Helicopters Take Advantage of Piston and Gas Turbine Engines
Helicopters are a very unique and useful form of aircraft, capable of carrying out many operations that conventional fixed-wing aircraft are unable to do as a result of their VTOL and hovering capabilities. While lift and movement is made possible through rotor assemblies situated on the body of the helicopter, these rotor blades would not spin if not for the energy supplied to them by the engine. While helicopters may take advantage of various engine types depending on their design and intended application, the primary choice will often come down to whether a piston or gas turbine engine is better. In this blog, we will discuss both engine types, allowing you to better understand how they benefit helicopters.
Piston engines are the original powerhouses of aircraft, and they rely on a number of pistons and cylinders to compress and ignite fuel to create the power necessary to drive the rotor assembly. While piston engines are very reliable, they are unable to reach the output of more powerful gas turbine engines. As a result, they are generally found on smaller aircraft that weigh no more than 2,500 pounds. A majority of helicopter piston engines have 4 or 6 cylinders, and they operate through the combustion of Avgas. While piston engine design may vary from model to model, the most common components found in such assemblies include the engine block, starter motor, alternator, and magnetos. As many of these parts face regular stress during operation or contain moving elements, it is crucial that they are regularly inspected and well maintained for reliability and airworthiness.
The gas turbine engine is a powerful apparatus, lightweight and compact in design while having a high power output. This makes them very beneficial for helicopter construction that requires ample power while minimizing total weight. Despite their clear advantages, gas turbine engines can be extremely expensive, sometimes costing more than the price of an entire piston-powered helicopter. The particular form of gas turbine engine that finds use for helicopters is the turboshaft, that of which utilized the energy from combustion to drive the transmission system. Based on the weight of the helicopter, its design, and intended applications, there may be anywhere from one to three gas turbines on a single model.
As gas turbine engines operate differently than piston engines for their fuel compression, combustion, and exhaust, they utilize different parts as well. Generally, the most common components in a standard gas turbine engine include compressors, bleed valves, the combustion chamber, fuel control unit, gas generator, power turbine, and reduction gearbox. While seemingly complex, gas turbine engines are actually fairly simplistic in their operation, intaking air that is compressed before being mixed with fuel for ignition.
Regardless of the type of helicopter, the choice between engines will generally come down to what can provide the most reliable power to ensure that the aircraft remains safe and airworthy during flight operations. Whether you choose to utilize a piston or gas turbine engine, both will require regular servicing and part replacement over time. Luckily for you, Unlimited NSN is the perfect resource with over 2 billion items ready for purchase today!
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