What does the helix of an aeroplane engine do?
If you glance at an aeroplane engine when boarding, you will see that it has a spiral on it. Various planes may have different spiral patterns as well. The spiral will follow the engine as it revolves. What is the function of this spiral if it rotates quickly?
Of course, the spiral on the plane's engine isn't there for show. In reality, it's known as the "spiral," and it's located on the engine's rectifier cone.
Different spiral patterns will be used by different types of aircraft engines.
We all know that jet engines, which may reach several metres in diameter, are used in big passenger aeroplanes. When the engine is turned on, the propeller inside the engine spins at a fast speed, creating suction and sucking the air in front of it into the engine.
The suction force generated in front of an aeroplane engine while it rotates at a high speed is enormous. The suction generated by the jet engine is lethal even at modest power settings. People can be sucked in 2.8 metres in front of the air intake and 1.2 metres in front of the side while the Boeing 737 engine is idle.
People 4 metres in front of the engine and 1.5 metres in front of the engine may be sucked in as the passenger plane begins to taxi. If a passenger remains in front of the engine at this time, the passenger's phone, clothing, and possibly even individuals may be pulled into the engine.
When the engine is rotating, however, it is often impossible to detect whether the engine is rotating with the naked eye since the engine propeller blades are quite dense, making it difficult for people to notice it immediately.
Furthermore, because the airport has several planes and each plane has numerous engines, it is impossible to distinguish which engine is rotating solely by sound. Furthermore, many airport ground employees will be wearing hearing protection. It's considerably more difficult to discern if the engine is rotating using sound.
When the helix is painted on the rectifier cone, we can see that it rotates together with the aircraft engine, and the helix is often designated in white, which is more visible to ground workers. Clearly, so that the ground workers can be warned to stay away from the engine.
In low light or at night, the spiral line is most effective.
Furthermore, we can more easily judge the speed of the spiral blade due to the spiral's spin. Because the spiral blades are relatively numerous, the spiral blades we see under normal conditions are blurred, and the spiral can lead people to lose their eyesight. This type of acceleration effect might also help you assess your speed more accurately.
Accidents with birds can be avoided by using a spiral.
Aside from the ground crews' attention, the spiral has another function: it scares away birds, which can help reduce the number of bird strike accidents. However, scientists have yet to come to a judgement on the subject. The high-speed rotation of the spiral is said to disrupt avian vision, preventing birds from approaching aircraft engines to some extent.