What are the best ways to increase an aircraft engine's thrust-to-weight ratio?

By focusing on designing more aerodynamic shapes, optimizing the inlet and outlet areas, and minimizing the frontal area of the engine, it's possible to reduce drag and enhance the thrust-to-weight ratio. A prime example would be the implementation of variable geometry intakes in some modern jet engines, allowing for airflow adjustment in line with the aircraft's speed and altitude. This innovation significantly contributes to improved performance and fuel efficiency in aviation technology.

Reducing drag plays a pivotal role in improving an aircraft engine's thrust-to-weight ratio. Streamlining the aircraft's design, optimizing wing shape, and minimizing surface roughness are effective strategies. Enhanced aerodynamics, like winglets or laminar flow wings, reduce drag, enabling the engine to allocate more thrust relative to the aircraft's weight. Additionally, efficient engine design and advancements in materials to create lighter yet robust components contribute significantly to boosting the thrust-to-weight ratio, ultimately enhancing an aircraft's performance.

Yes, reducing drag contributes to aircraft performance, so we need to improve the airfoil to minimize drag, especially in turbulent areas.

Reduce aircraft weight by increasing the use of lightweight materials, like carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium etc. That requires extensive work in structural analysis and cost evaluation. Also, an estimate of reduction in fuel comsuption may eventually lead to the reduction of fuel tank's size and weight.

Reducing drag is among the best way to increase the thrust as the major opposing force of thrust is drag. By introducing aerodynamically efficient aerofoil structure it can be made possible although a huge amount of research had made it possible to have today's modern aerofoil shapes of wings and other air facing structures to produce have less drag and I hoped to see more.

Increasing pressure ratio by doing more compression and more combustion is possible but it would reduce the durability of turbine blade resulting them to wear or crack more often. By working on ACC (active clearance control) or other cooling technique might me helpful.

Adding after burner to military fighter jet is a good idea as they may face situation where increasing thrust with out considering fuel economy, structural integrity, components integrity and many more. Afterburner in Civil aviation is not a very good idea from disturbing passenger comfort, revoking your noise certificate, consuming more fuel, increasing maintenance work and reducing over all aircraft life all these factor goes against the limited time use of afterburner.

Yes, turbofan is a very very intelligent solution. Currently been used by many engine manufacturer it is favorite among air operators due to its economical results. Putting more research would definitely add more.

There are several effective ways to enhance an aircraft engine's. One approach is to improve the engine's overall efficiency through advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques, which can reduce weight while maintaining. Additionally, optimizing the engine's airflow, such as by designing more aerodynamic shapes and minimizing frontal areas, can help reduce drag and enhance the thrust-to-weight ratio. Furthermore, incorporating variable geometry intakes and other modern technologies to adjust airflow based on speed and altitude can also contribute to improved performance. Finally, advancements in propulsion systems, including innovative fuel combustion and propulsion mechanisms, can further increase the thrust-to-weight ratio.

In order to increase thrust to weight ratio, the weight might me reduced to increase the thrust. As we know that thrust is inversely proportional weight of aircraft so reducing weight would play well. Increasing thrust by adding more powerful and massive engines would definitely increase the thrust but it would also use more fuel resulting in less eco and echo friendly method while reducing weight by developing and installing low mass material of equal structural strength rather then conventional heavy weight structural metals is quite eco-friendly.