This Jet Engine Will See You Through

Have you ever wished you could peer inside a complex machine while it was still running? We sort of can with simulations and the CAD tools we have today, but it isn’t the same as doing IRL. [Warped Perception] made a see-thru jet engine to experience the feeling. The effect, we dare say, is better than any simulation.

[Warped Perception] has a good bit of experience with jet engines and previously mounted them to his car. The first step was balancing, and while he didn’t use an oscilloscope, he could get it within a few thousands of a gram balanced. Then, after some light CAD work, it was all machining. Brackets were fabricated, and gaskets were laser cut to hold the large thick clear cover together. There are a few exciting things to see (and hear). The engine expands and contracts significantly due to pressure and heat, but it’s interesting to see it move physically as it ramps up and down.

Additionally, the sound as it goes through the various thrust levels is quite impressive. But, of course, what’s a jet engine test with an airflow test? Surprisingly, the engine didn’t pull in as much air as he thought. Eighty pounds of thrust doesn’t mean eighty pounds of air.

This 3D-printed water-cooled jet engine isn’t quite see-through, but it is interesting to see the thorough process of making the engine itself. Video after the break.

17 thoughts on “This Jet Engine Will See You Through

  1. He needed some ears on the end plates for four axial bolts to keep it from spreading apart and blowing the gaskets out. The way he has the top and bottom plates with the radial bolts can be seen moving in the video, attempting to shear the bolts.

    To do a smoke test he should have just spun it with the starter motor. The heat burned up the smoke particles so they weren’t visible.

      1. Proper units and magnitudes is important in engineering. I figured they meant thousandths but getting it right matters. Remember how such an error made the Hubble Telescope nearsighted.

        1. You need to get your mistakes straight. The Hubble error was caused by a misplaced measuring stick. Getting the units wrong was what caused the Mars Climate Orbiter to burn up in the Martian atmosphere. Numeric overflow (from FP to int conversion) caused the Ariane 5 to explode after liftoff.

  2. At about 5:08 a brief note appears on the screen – “EMI’s from the jet were interfering with the electronics on my Gimbal causing it to move”. What is there in the operation of a jet engine that causes RF to be emitted?

    1. Maybe static electricity due to the movement of particle laden air over a surface? This seems to be a common theme with wind turbines so possibly it applies here too.

      1. It’s the controller that regulates engine speed and fuel delivery. I don’t remeber if you can see the control in this video, but, there are other videos of the same kind of engine showing the control and screen indicating throttle position, engine RPM and egt.

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