The cross-sectional area of a gas turbine engine in aircraft design typically refers to the area of the engine inlet, where air is ingested. This parameter is crucial for understanding engine performance and thrust generation. The formula to calculate the cross-sectional area of a gas turbine engine’s inlet (A_inlet) is as follows:
- A = Cross-sectional area of the gas turbine engine’s inlet (in square meters, m²)
- ṁ = Mass flow rate of the engine (in kilograms per second, kg/s)
- ρ = Density of the air ingested by the engine (in kilograms per cubic meter, kg/m³)
- V = Inlet velocity of the air (in meters per second, m/s)