The mass flow rate of a jet engine in aircraft design, often referred to as “engine mass flow rate,” is a critical parameter representing the rate at which air is ingested by the engine and subsequently expelled as exhaust gases. This parameter is fundamental for engine performance calculations.The formula to calculate the mass flow rate of a jet engine (ṁ_engine) is as follows:
- ṁ = Mass flow rate of the jet engine (in kilograms per second, kg/s
- ρ = Density of the air ingested by the engine (in kilograms per cubic meter, kg/m³)
- A = Cross-sectional area of the engine inlet (in square meters, m²)
- V = Inlet velocity of the air (in meters per second, m/s