An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat. The afterburning process injects additional fuel into a combustor ("burner") in the jet pipe behind (i.e., "after") the turbine, "reheating" the exhaust gas. Afterburning significantly increases thrust as an alternative to using a bigger engine with its attendant weight penalty, but at the cost of increased fuel consumption (decreased fuel efficiency) which limits its use to short periods. This aircraft application of "reheat" contrasts with the meaning and implementation of "reheat" applicable to gas turbines driving electrical generators and which reduces fuel consumption.[1]
Jet engines are referred to as operating wet when afterburning and dry when not.[2] An engine producing maximum thrust wet is at maximum power, while an engine producing maximum thrust dry is at military power.[3]
- ^ Gas Turbine Design, Components and System Design Integration, Meinhard T. Schobeiri, ISBN 978 3 319 58376 1, p. 12/24
- ^ Ronald D. Flack (2005). Fundamentals of jet propulsion with applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-81983-0.
- ^ Graham, Richard H. (July 15, 2008). Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission. MBI Publishing Company. p. 56. ISBN 9781610600705.