The Gas Turbine Types Slide will give you more information about the various engine types. There is also a slide devoted only to turboprop engines.
On this slide we show a computer drawing of a turboprop engine. The turboprop uses a gas turbine core to turn a propeller. Propeller engines develop thrust by moving a large mass of air through a small change in velocity. Propellers are very efficient and can use nearly any kind of engine to turn the prop (including humans!). In the turboprop, a gas turbine core is used.
How does a turboprop engine work? There are two main parts to a turboprop propulsion system, the core engine and the propeller. The core is very similar to a basic turbojet except that instead of expanding all the hot exhaust through the nozzle to produce thrust, most of the energy of the exhaust is used to turn the turbine. There is an additional turbine stage present, as shown in green on the drawing which is connected to a drive shaft. The drive shaft, also shown in green, is connected to a gear box. The gear box is then connected to a propeller which produces most of the thrust. The exhaust velocity of a turboprop is low and contributes a little thrust because most of the energy of the core exhaust has gone into turning the drive shaft.
Last Updated Thu, May 13 02:38:16 PM EDT 2021
by Tom Benson