4 ms·
Engines don't stall, planes do. Plane stalls are about aerodynamics, and nothing to do with the engine. Current engine designs operate poorly at higher altitu
by base698 7y ago
Engines don't stall, planes do. Plane stalls are about aerodynamics, and nothing to do with the engine.
Current engine designs operate poorly at higher altitudes for a number of reasons: less air density meaning less oxygen to burn and less air to push against. Turbine engines can flame out, which maybe that's what you were referring: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flameout https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flameout
- whamlastxmas 7y agoStalling is a term also used with engines, and it's pretty clear he's talking about engines not working at altitude so "stall" is probably the correct term
- base698 7y agoOnly with layman and in the media when incorrectly describing an aerodynamic stall and conflating two.
- taf2 7y agoYeah I’d imagine most of the reasons sited from this hat wiki article don’t apply to an electric plane. But yeah air density would definitely be an issue but I thought the nasa Helios flight showed 90k to be the upper limit? So figured pushing to bear that altitude could be achieved and possibly beneficial since it would avoid bad weather and reduce drag... I guess was imagining the bulk of the engine power would be consumed at the start of the flight to reach altitude and then from there mostly glide until descending to land... but I’m not an aviation engineer at all just dreaming of quieter sky’s and less pollution
- sokoloff 7y agoIn my estimation, the shortest practical path to less pollution (at least less net carbon emission) is to use electricity to synthesize jet-fuel. Take yesterday's carbon dioxide, turn it into tomorrow's jet fuel, making the fuel carbon-neutral.
- darkpuma 7y agoTurbine compressors can also 'stall': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_stall