An Introduction to the Vehicular Gas Turbine Engine

Born nearly a quarter of a century ago, the movement toward commercial use of the gas turbine engine in automotive vehicles has slowly progressed to the point of imminence in certain heavy-duty applications. Recently, interest in light-duty application to the passenger car has been stimulated by concern over exhaust emissions. This paper serves as an introduction to the vehicular gas turbine engine. It traces the developmental history of the engine for automotive use, provides some insight into the characteristics of the engine components and their function in the complete powerplant, and finally touches upon some recent activities in the gas turbine field. As an educational device, treatment of these topics is intended to be too comprehensive for the casual reader, yet sufficiently elementary that the gas turbine specialist is not challenged.