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What happens during a compressor stall?
A compressor stall occurs when there is an imbalance between the air flow supply and the airflow demand; in other words, a pressure ratio that is incompatible with the engine RPM. When this occurs, smooth airflow is interrupted and turbulence and pressure fluctuations are created within the turbine.
How is compressor stall avoided?
Variable-pitch stators (to control flow angles), compressor bleeds, casing treatments, and tip clearance controls all are used to avoid stall conditions.
What causes a compressor to surge?
Surge occurs when there is no forward flow of gas through the compressor and a reversal of flow occurs. The gas that is being compressed gets pushed backward through the centrifugal compressor. When this surge (flow reversal) occurs, which can happen in milliseconds, the rotor is affected.
How many F-14’s were lost due to compressor stalls?
Compressor stalls led to the loss of more than 40 F-14s. Had the early Tomcats ever gone into serious combat, more of them might have been lost to compressor stalls than to enemy action.
Why are so many F-14A’s being lost?
Twenty eight percent of all losses in the F-14 were attributable to the engine related problems. The TF-30 was prone to compressor stall, particularly during high angle of attack and during rapid changes in thrust. Basically, everything that the F-14 would need to do in a dogfight.
What kind of engine does the F 14A have?
The F-14A comes with the TF-30 engines which make approximately 20% less thrust and had developed a reputation for performance problems. Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr. in 1984 said that the TF-30 and F-14 together was the worst engine to air frame mismatches in the Navy’s history.
Why does an F-14 lose control when it flies through the air?
However, the TF30-P-414A jet engines that powered the early model F-14s was considered susceptible to compressor stall, due to some design flaws. The result of these faults is that the F-14A (in real life and in the movie) is easily susceptible to engine failure as a result of disturbed airflow.