Gas Turbine Engines

Gas Turbine Engines Gas turbine engines date back to the early 1940's. Sir Frank Wittle, a British aeronautical engineer and aviator, invented the turbojet engine (The World Almanac Educational Group, 2002, p. 1). Gas turbine engines took off, and have been soaring ever since. They offer an unmatched power to weight ratio, which make them ideal for many applications. This essay will describe the process of a gas turbine engine, as well as explain some new advances …

…of the one inch-round engine, batteries could become a thing of the past. These small efficient engines could revolutionize the electronics age we live in. "Engines the size of shirt buttons could begin to replace 10 to 20 watt batteries in handheld computers, cell phones, and camcorders. Lab director Alan H. Epstein predicts that an engine-driven power pack could be made about 25% smaller than today's lithium batteries, and could run twice as long between recharging" (Andreeva, 1998. p. 139).