Flameout

A flameout is the extinction of a flame in a combustion engine or other combustion -based equipment and facilities.

Jet engine

A flameout in the continuous combustion in the combustion chambers of jet engines and propeller turbines is the result of a technical irregularity. Part of the English name will be used for this purpose flameout also in German.

This can be caused, for example, a sudden interruption of the air flow, the penetration of large amounts of water or debris, impurities in the fuel, or the state of the surge in turbo-compressors. Often this effect is caused by flow separation of air to be compressed on the aerodynamically shaped air compressor blades, for example by supersonic pressure waves in the engine intake or sudden, extreme change in angle of attack such as the so-called Cobra maneuver.

In early jet engines (such as where the Messerschmitt Me 262) often had an error in calculating the amount of fuel supplied to during fast acceleration or throttling of the engines, which is often necessary, for example, in the approach. Due to these errors, caused by immature mechanical fuel regulator, flooded or depleted the fuel-air mixture so strong that the flame goes into the combustion chamber.

A flameout at low altitude was usually associated with a total loss of the aircraft. Even with modern jets flame breaks can occur, but such engine problems lead only rarely to dangerous situations. Crashes of some F -16 of NATO's air forces over Germany were attributed to flame breaks.

Notable cases

  • June 1982: A Boeing 747 of British Airways suffered when flying through a cloud of volcanic ash a flameout in all four engines (see British Airways Flight 9).
  • October 2004: The crew of a Bombardier CRJ200 was no longer able by a self-inflicted flame out in 41,000 feet (12,500 meters) altitude to start the engines again. The crash killed the pilot and copilot.

Further occurrence of flameout

  • Even with burners in power plants and other energy systems can cause flameout.
  • Blowing out a candle is the targeted application flameout.
  • Engine technology
  • Feuerungstechnik
  • Burner (device)
  • Combustion theory
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