The CFM LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engine is a high-bypass turbofan engine developed by CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric (GE) and Safran Aircraft Engines. The thermal efficiency of a turbofan engine is a measure of how effectively the engine converts the chemical energy in fuel into useful work, primarily in the form of thrust. The thermal efficiency is defined as the ratio of the useful work output to the energy input from burning the fuel.
The thermal efficiency is expressed mathematically as:
where:
- is the thermal efficiency,
- is the thrust produced by the engine,
- is the jet velocity,
- ṁf is the mass flow rate of fuel,
- is the specific enthalpy of the fuel.