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Q:

How is it a jet engine is able to fly and not lose combustion while ingesting snow and/or rain?

A:

In most cases, the water or snow is vaporized by the heat of combustion. The water vapor has very little impact.

 

Water ingestion on gas turbine engine can have many effects on engine performance. Only in the most extreme of conditions does engine "flameout," where the engine shuts down midflight, occur. A much more common effect is that the engine requires more fuel to run at the same speed. This happens because when you have more water intake, the engine requires more fuel to evaporate/melt the water/ice. If the inflow of the water becomes too great then the engine cannot supply enough fuel to evaporate the water completely, and the engine runs at slower speeds or shuts down completely.

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