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Jet Engine Screen
Jet engines need screens.
 
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With as many things that get sucked into jet engines, it looks like they need some type of really strong screen in front of them. Would something about the same size as chicken wire really hinder air flow that much? I realize that the screen would have to be removed, so it could have a release that could only be done by a key or something.

fogfreak, Nov 09 2002


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       But then instead of getting sucked into the engine, it would get stuck to the screen, blocking airflow. when they landed there would be like. . a featherless bird scared out of its mind.

notme, Nov 09 2002
  

       //really hinder air flow//
Seems that it would. See FAQ [link]. It would also take a very strong screen -- even small bird strikes can cause incredible damage to aircraft structures. The airflow gets much worse once such an object hits the screen. And now you've got a bird and a screen inside your engine.
As [notme] said, it's also a bad day for the bird.

Amos Kito, Nov 09 2002
  

       I saw a jet engine lift a man off his feet and suck him in, on one of those "you gotta see this", programs. I think it would probably suck a bird right through something like chicken wire.   

       (+), for thinking about a solution to something which needs fixing.   

       An aerodynamically designed grid where the cross members have a cross section shaped as an airfoil (supercritical with a sharp leading edge) might work. If properly designed it might not disrupt the airflow too much and would dice the bird into pieces small enough for the engine to accomodate. The engines are tougher than some people seem to give them credit for and are designed to be able to ingest a certain amount of crud like gravel and other things that are pulled up off of a runway environment. Especially true for those engines designed to work off of established runways, like Rolls Pegasus engines found on the AV8As, etc.   

       No matter what you put if front, though, it will affect the operation of the engine. Maybe the engine can be designed or de-rated to compensate for the grill.

bristolz, Nov 09 2002
  

       Some jet engines have aerodynamic struts in front of the fan section, although they're not grids. This saved some lives, including, I think, the guy in the video [2 fries] mentioned.
If you have a screen, and a single piece of paper hits it, the engine could stall (an impressive "BOOOM!", and often a fireball, front & back). Without the screen, that same paper (or cardboard, plastic, whatever) is instant dust.

Amos Kito, Nov 09 2002
  

       bris, wouldn't your grid just slice up the bird into little chunks, what with the "sharp leading edge" and all?

krelnik, Nov 09 2002
  

       It would also probably make better aeroplane food..

yamahito, Nov 09 2002
  

       The russians are way ahead of you.   

       stones and dirt cause more damage than birds ever will, simply because they are ingested more often, and cause more damage, especially with big engine inlets close to the ground as in many fighter planes. So, the SU-27 fighter has screens which fold down, blocking the engine intakes for takeoff and landing. This was done by the russians (and not the americans) simply because the russians operated from much cruder runways.   

       I did a search on google and found immediately a reference to back me up: http://www.vectorsite.net/avsu27.html (find on the page: inlet)   

       except the wire mesh is a good idea, because the chicken would get sliced in to strips, which would then be chopped into shorter pieces by the turning blades, and then cooked by the burning jet fuel...chicken nuggets! which could be immediately served to hungry passengers... I dont know why any of you didnt think of that already, isnt it obvious?   

       youre not really likely to run into a chicken in mid-air, but they could be easily fed into the engine intentionally

sugarman, Jul 23 2003
  


 
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