Which engine section provides energy to drive the compressor and produce shaft power?

• A. Nozzle
• B. Diffuser
• C. Turbine
• D. Compressor

Answer: (C)

In a gas turbine engine, the turbine section provides energy to drive the compressor and deliver shaft power by extracting energy from the hot, high-energy gases after combustion. As the combusted gas expands through the turbine, it transfers some of its energy to the turbine blades, turning the turbine and the connected shaft. That shaft is mechanically linked to the compressor, so the turbine’s work drives the compressor to compress incoming air, sustaining the Brayton cycle. The nozzle and diffuser aren’t sources of shaft power; the nozzle accelerates flow, and the diffuser converts velocity back into pressure, but neither provides the energy to turn the shaft. The compressor is the load that the turbine powers.