In a jet engine,which specific part generates thrust as the gases flow through and exit the engine?
That is sort of a difficult question. If I had to pick one specific part, I would choose the combustor, since that is where fuel is burned to add energy to the flow. Without that addition of energy, the rest of the components – fan, compressor, turbines, shafts, bearings, etc – stop doing what they do pretty quickly. The hot section does two things: extracts energy from the flow to turn the compressors, and creates an orifice to exhaust to ambient conditions. The net thrust on the hot section is aft. If you cut the engine in half down the middle, the hot section will not suddenly move forward, it will be blown aft. The compressor section compresses the air to provide high pressure for the cycle. The engine would not run without it. If there are fans in the compressor section, they provide some thrust in the form of bypass flow – like a ducted fan. The net thrust on the compressor / fan section is forward. If you cut the engine in half, the compressor section will take off in a forward
