FSC 2840: An Introduction to Aircraft Prime Moving Gas Turbines and Jet Engines

Federal Supply Classes (FSCs) are an essential aspect of many purchasing processes, enabling buyers to accurately identify and procure items using a standardized and widely accepted system. As a part of the Federal Supply Classification system that is upheld by the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), FSCs generally serve to group similar items together based on their common applications and features, streamlining item management and trade across industries and nations. This blog post will explore FSC 2840: Gas Turbines and Jet Engines, Aircraft, Prime Moving; and Components, ensuring that buyers and industry professionals working with such powerplants have a basic understanding of the crucial parts that fall within this class.

What are Aircraft Prime Movers?

Prime movers are fundamental elements of any energy system, serving to convert energy into some form of mechanical motion or power. In the context of aviation, these are what convert energy into propulsion, allowing an aircraft to achieve flight. Gas turbines and jet engines are two popular forms of aircraft prime movers, serving to transform the chemical energy of fuel into the kinetic energy of thrust.

Gas Turbines

Gas turbines are internal combustion engines that operate on a continuous cycle, leveraging a series of rotating blades to compress air, mix it with fuel, and ignite the final mixture to produce hot, expanding gases. As exhaust moves through the engine assembly, it drives a set of turbine blades, which in turn powers the compressor and provides output power. Gas turbines are known for their high power-to-weight ratio, serving as a popular powerplant for many aircraft.

Jet Engines

Jet engines are an advanced type of gas turbine that produces thrust by expelling a high-speed jet of gas out of the rear of the assembly. They operate on much of the same basic principles as gas turbines, though they differ in that they are specifically designed for creating propulsion. Jet engines are used in a variety of aircraft, ranging in use from commercial airliners to fighter jets.

Common Components Within FSC 2840

Compressor Rotors and Blades

Compressor rotors and blades are responsible for compressing incoming air, specifically being designed to maximize airflow and pressure. Efficient compression is essential for any engine's performance, so various advancements have been made to these components over the years.

Combustion Chamber

The combustion chamber is where fuel is mixed with compressed air and ignited. This section is designed to ensure efficient combustion and minimize emissions, taking advantage of advanced engineering and materials.

Turbine Rotors and Blades

Turbine rotors and blades extract energy from the hot gases produced by combustion to power the engine’s compressor and other systems.

Accessory Gearbox

The accessory gearbox is what provides power to various engine components, including fuel pumps, oil pumps, and generators.

Afterburner

An afterburner is an additional feature of many military aircraft that is used to increase thrust by injecting additional fuel into the exhaust gases.

Exhaust Cone

The exhaust cone of an engine shapes the flow of exhaust gases as they leave the assembly, increasing thrust by optimizing the exit velocity.

Oil Tanks

Oil tanks store oil for lubricating and cooling the engine and its associated parts. Proper lubrication is essential for preventing wear and tear, so tanks ensure that everything is provided with an adequate supply of oil.

How Integrated Enterprises Can Meet Your Needs

As an ASAP Semiconductor website, Integrated Enterprises is a premier platform for customers seeking to procure components for aircraft prime moving gas turbines and jet engines. We offer competitive pricing and timely delivery on a wide range of parts that fall under FSC 2840, everything we offer being presented on our website throughout curated catalogs that we have established. With an online Request for Quote (RFQ) service and team members on standby to support customer needs, do not hesitate to take the first step of procurement for aircraft prime moving parts on Integrated Enterprises!