The mass flow rate of a gas turbine engine in aircraft design, also known as “engine mass flow rate,” represents 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 gas turbine engine (ṁ_engine) is as follows:
- ṁ = Mass flow rate of the gas turbine 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)