How do various types of propulsion systems work in aerospace engineering?

In aerospace engineering, propulsion systems are used to power vehicles such as airplanes, helicopters, rockets, and satellites. These systems can be categorized into two types: air-breathing and non-air-breathing. Air-breathing systems rely on the atmosphere to provide oxygen to burn fuel while non-air-breathing systems carry their own oxidizer, which allows them to operate in space.

The most common type of air-breathing propulsion system is the jet engine. Jet engines take in air, compress it, mix it with fuel, and ignite it. The expanding gases are then expelled out of the back of the engine, which propels the aircraft forward. There are also different types of jet engines such as turbojet, turbofan, and turboprop engines which differ in the way they compress air and how they use it for propulsion.

Non-air-breathing propulsion systems include rocket engines, which carry both fuel and oxidizer. These engines work by mixing the two components together and igniting them. The hot gases produced are then expelled out of the back of the engine, providing thrust. Rocket engines can be further divided into different types such as solid rocket motors, liquid rocket engines, and hybrid rocket engines.

Other types of propulsion systems used in aerospace engineering include ion thrusters, which work by expelling ions to produce thrust, and solar sails, which use the pressure of sunlight to propel spacecraft.