What are the best ways to increase an aircraft engine's thrust-to-weight ratio?

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If you are an aviation enthusiast, you probably know that the thrust-to-weight ratio is one of the most important performance indicators of an aircraft engine. It measures how much thrust the engine can produce per unit of weight, and it affects the acceleration, climb rate, and fuel efficiency of the aircraft. But how can you increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine without adding too much weight or complexity? In this article, we will explore some of the best ways to achieve this goal, from simple modifications to advanced technologies.

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SOKHNA Sidy Mactar, Ing. / MBA

Ingénieur Polytechnicien de Conception en électromécanique et MBA en Création et Administration d'Entreprise
Ahmad M. Mandili

Director of MRO Operations Systems | Vision 2030 | Executive Management | Operations Technology | Digital…
Marcelo TORRE

Comandante TRI | B737NG/MAX

1 Reduce drag

One of the easiest ways to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to reduce the drag caused by the air intake, exhaust, and nacelle. Drag reduces the net thrust available to the aircraft, and increases the fuel consumption. By designing more aerodynamic shapes, optimizing the inlet and outlet areas, and minimizing the frontal area of the engine, you can reduce the drag and improve the thrust-to-weight ratio. For example, some modern jet engines use variable geometry intakes that adjust the airflow according to the speed and altitude of the aircraft.

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SOKHNA Sidy Mactar, Ing. / MBA

Ingénieur Polytechnicien de Conception en électromécanique et MBA en Création et Administration d'Entreprise
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Yes, reducing drag contributes to aircraft performance, so we need to improve the airfoil to minimize drag, especially in turbulent areas.

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Ahmad M. Mandili

Director of MRO Operations Systems | Vision 2030 | Executive Management | Operations Technology | Digital Transformation | AMOS SME | Prosci? Certified Change Practitioner
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Reducing drag plays a pivotal role in improving an aircraft engine's thrust-to-weight ratio. Streamlining the aircraft's design, optimizing wing shape, and minimizing surface roughness are effective strategies. Enhanced aerodynamics, like winglets or laminar flow wings, reduce drag, enabling the engine to allocate more thrust relative to the aircraft's weight. Additionally, efficient engine design and advancements in materials to create lighter yet robust components contribute significantly to boosting the thrust-to-weight ratio, ultimately enhancing an aircraft's performance.

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Marcelo TORRE

Comandante TRI | B737NG/MAX
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By focusing on designing more aerodynamic shapes, optimizing the inlet and outlet areas, and minimizing the frontal area of the engine, it's possible to reduce drag and enhance the thrust-to-weight ratio. A prime example would be the implementation of variable geometry intakes in some modern jet engines, allowing for airflow adjustment in line with the aircraft's speed and altitude. This innovation significantly contributes to improved performance and fuel efficiency in aviation technology.

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Romeu Fontana

Senior Engineering Consultant na RF Mobility Engineering
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Reduce aircraft weight by increasing the use of lightweight materials, like carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium etc. That requires extensive work in structural analysis and cost evaluation. Also, an estimate of reduction in fuel comsuption may eventually lead to the reduction of fuel tank's size and weight.

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Almas Khan Khattak

AME | AMLS | EASA | FAA
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Reducing drag is among the best way to increase the thrust as the major opposing force of thrust is drag. By introducing aerodynamically efficient aerofoil structure it can be made possible although a huge amount of research had made it possible to have today's modern aerofoil shapes of wings and other air facing structures to produce have less drag and I hoped to see more.

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2 Increase pressure ratio

Another way to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to increase the pressure ratio, which is the ratio of the pressure at the end of the compressor to the pressure at the beginning of the compressor. A higher pressure ratio means that more air is compressed and burned in the combustion chamber, resulting in more thrust and higher efficiency. However, increasing the pressure ratio also increases the temperature and stress on the turbine blades, which can limit the durability and reliability of the engine. Therefore, you need to use advanced materials, cooling techniques, and coatings to withstand the high pressure and temperature.

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Almas Khan Khattak

AME | AMLS | EASA | FAA
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Increasing pressure ratio by doing more compression and more combustion is possible but it would reduce the durability of turbine blade resulting them to wear or crack more often. By working on ACC (active clearance control) or other cooling technique might me helpful.

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3 Add afterburner

A third way to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to add an afterburner, which is a device that injects additional fuel into the exhaust stream and ignites it, creating more thrust. An afterburner can boost the thrust of an engine by up to 50%, and is useful for short bursts of speed or altitude, such as in fighter jets or supersonic aircraft. However, an afterburner also increases the weight, complexity, and fuel consumption of the engine, and can only be used for a limited time. Therefore, you need to balance the benefits and costs of using an afterburner.

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Almas Khan Khattak

AME | AMLS | EASA | FAA
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Adding after burner to military fighter jet is a good idea as they may face situation where increasing thrust with out considering fuel economy, structural integrity, components integrity and many more. Afterburner in Civil aviation is not a very good idea from disturbing passenger comfort, revoking your noise certificate, consuming more fuel, increasing maintenance work and reducing over all aircraft life all these factor goes against the limited time use of afterburner.

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4 Use turbofan

A fourth way to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to use a turbofan, which is a type of jet engine that has a large fan at the front that bypasses some of the air around the core of the engine, creating more thrust and reducing noise. A turbofan can have a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than a turbojet, because it uses less fuel and produces more thrust at low and medium speeds. However, a turbofan also has a larger diameter, which can increase the drag and weight of the engine. Therefore, you need to optimize the bypass ratio, which is the ratio of the mass flow rate of the bypassed air to the mass flow rate of the core air.

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Almas Khan Khattak

AME | AMLS | EASA | FAA
(已编辑)
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Yes, turbofan is a very very intelligent solution. Currently been used by many engine manufacturer it is favorite among air operators due to its economical results. Putting more research would definitely add more.

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5 Incorporate electric propulsion

A fifth way to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to incorporate electric propulsion, which is a technology that uses electric power to drive propellers, fans, or ducted rotors, creating thrust. Electric propulsion can have a higher thrust-to-weight ratio than conventional propulsion, because it eliminates the need for fuel, combustion, and exhaust systems, and can use lighter and more efficient motors and batteries. However, electric propulsion also faces challenges such as limited energy density, storage, and distribution, and requires integration with other systems such as generators, inverters, and controllers. Therefore, you need to develop new solutions and architectures to overcome these challenges.

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6 Experiment with new concepts

A sixth way to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of an engine is to experiment with new concepts, such as scramjets, pulse detonation engines, or ion thrusters, that use different principles or mechanisms to generate thrust. These concepts can potentially offer higher thrust-to-weight ratios than existing engines, because they can operate at higher speeds, altitudes, or efficiencies, and use less or no moving parts. However, these concepts also face technical, operational, and regulatory hurdles, such as high temperatures, pressures, or voltages, complex ignition, combustion, or control systems, and safety or environmental issues. Therefore, you need to conduct extensive research and testing to validate and refine these concepts.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Marcelo TORRE

Comandante TRI | B737NG/MAX
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There are several effective ways to enhance an aircraft engine's. One approach is to improve the engine's overall efficiency through advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques, which can reduce weight while maintaining. Additionally, optimizing the engine's airflow, such as by designing more aerodynamic shapes and minimizing frontal areas, can help reduce drag and enhance the thrust-to-weight ratio. Furthermore, incorporating variable geometry intakes and other modern technologies to adjust airflow based on speed and altitude can also contribute to improved performance. Finally, advancements in propulsion systems, including innovative fuel combustion and propulsion mechanisms, can further increase the thrust-to-weight ratio.

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Almas Khan Khattak

AME | AMLS | EASA | FAA
(已编辑)
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In order to increase thrust to weight ratio, the weight might me reduced to increase the thrust. As we know that thrust is inversely proportional weight of aircraft so reducing weight would play well. Increasing thrust by adding more powerful and massive engines would definitely increase the thrust but it would also use more fuel resulting in less eco and echo friendly method while reducing weight by developing and installing low mass material of equal structural strength rather then conventional heavy weight structural metals is quite eco-friendly.

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What are the best ways to increase an aircraft engine's thrust-to-weight ratio?

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1 Reduce drag

2 Increase pressure ratio

3 Add afterburner

4 Use turbofan

5 Incorporate electric propulsion

6 Experiment with new concepts

7 Here’s what else to consider

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