What compressor configuration did the competing engine developed by Frank Halford typically utilize?
centrifugal-flow
The development of British jet propulsion involved a significant rivalry, particularly concerning the mechanical design of the compressor stages. While Whittle championed the more advanced axial-flow design, the engine developed by Frank Halford, who had a prior working relationship with Whittle, generally employed a centrifugal-flow compressor. This centrifugal design involves air being drawn toward the center and then accelerated outward radially by the rotor blades. While potentially simpler or faster to construct given existing metallurgical capabilities in the short term, the centrifugal design inherently limits the engine’s overall pressure ratio and efficiency ceiling, making it less suited for cutting-edge, high-speed military requirements compared to Whittle’s axial system.
