摘要:
A launch system is provided, including a composite vehicle and a carrier vehicle. The composite vehicle includes a payload vehicle, a booster vehicle and a first coupling system. The payload vehicle is configured for powered spaceflight at least in a space medium, and includes a rocket driven propulsion system. The booster vehicle is configured for powered supersonic/hypersonic aerodynamic flight, includes a ramjet propulsion system, and is configured for transporting the composite vehicle between a first altitude and a second altitude under propulsive power provided by the ramjet propulsion system. The first coupling system is configured for selectively coupling and decoupling the payload vehicle with respect to the booster vehicle. The carrier vehicle is configured at least for powered subsonic/transonic/supersonic aerodynamic flight, and for transporting the composite vehicle to at least the first altitude from a ground location. The launch system also includes a second coupling system for selectively coupling and decoupling the composite vehicle with respect to the carrier aircraft.
摘要:
A scramjet engine with a novel isolator is disclosed herein. The scramjet includes an air inlet configured to receive and direct air into the engine and a combustor operable to receive air from the air inlet and combust fuel therein as is conventional. An isolator is positioned between the air inlet and the combustor. The isolator includes a primary flow path separated into a plurality of separate secondary flow channels formed therethrough. The smaller secondary flow channels prevent shockwaves from propagating upstream from the combustor to the inlet that can occur during some operating conditions of a supersonic combustion flow process.
摘要:
A ramjet powered device that utilizes a novel swirl generator for rapidly and efficiently atomizing, vaporizing, as necessary, and mixing a fuel into an oxidant. The swirl generator converts an oxidant flow into a turbulent, three-dimensional flowfield into which the fuel is introduced. The swirl generator effects a toroidal outer recirculation zone and an inner central recirculation zone, both of which are configured in a backward-flowing manner that carries heat and combustion byproducts upstream where they are employed to continuously ignite a combustible fuel/oxidizer mixture in adjacent shear layers and stabilizes flame propagation and accelerates combustion throughout the entire combustor. The swirl generator provides smooth combustion with no instabilities and minimum total pressure losses and enables significant reductions in the L/D ratio of the combustor. Other benefits include simplicity, reliability, wide flammability limits and high combustion efficiency and thrust performance.
摘要:
The present invention relates to an improved variable geometry inlet for a scram jet engine having at least one combustor module. The variable geometry inlet comprises each combustor module having two sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls has a central portion with a thickness and a tapered profile forward of the central portion. The tapered profile terminates in a sharp leading edge. The variable geometry inlet further comprises each module having a lower wall and a movable cowl flap positioned forward of the lower wall. The movable cowl flap has a leading edge and the leading edges of the sidewalls intersect the leading edge of the cowl flap.
摘要:
A gas gun-launched, propulsion-assisted scramjet projectile adapted to be fired from a gun, preferably at velocities greater than Mach 5, includes a body with an external compression section, an internal compression section, a combustion section, a nozzle section, and means for channeling ambient fluid to an engine in one of the sections of the body, the channeling means and the body cooperating with the engine to produce thrust greater than drag when the projectile travels at velocities greater than Mach 5. The projectile further includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced stabilization fins located at the nozzle region of the body and a sabot assembly releasably secured to the rear portion of the body, where the sabot assembly includes a plurality of elements joined together about the body rear portion to form a housing for protecting the body rear portion from explosive gases in the barrel of the gun.
摘要:
A scramjet engine is disclosed which is effective for use in a hypersonic aircraft as an aircraft-integrated scamjet engine. The engine includes a first surface having an aft facing step, and a cowl upper surface spaced from the first surface to define an integrated inlet-combustor therebetween. Means for injecting fuel into the inlet-combustor at the step are provided for mixing fuel with supersonic airflow for generating supersonic combustion gases in the inlet-combustor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fuel injecting means is effective for injecting fuel to create a fluid boundary defining a subsonic fuel zone and a supersonic fluid zone. The fluid boundary is variable and eliminates start and unstart problems requiring variable inlet geometry in a conventional scramjet engine.
摘要:
A hypersonic scramjet engine fuel injector and a hypersonic scramjet engine having such a fuel injector. The engine has a serially connected inlet, combustor, and exhaust nozzle. Multiple, horizontally-spaced-apart fuel injectors are positioned in and connected to the combustor's top portion. Each fuel injector has a hollow wedge shape housing. To improve fuel-air mixing for better combustion, the housing's end wall has multiple, discrete, convergent-divergent fuel outlet nozzles and its side walls have horizontally-extending exterior grooves. Fuel is used to cool the fuel injector housing with the housing's bottom and side walls having fuel-exit holes and the housing having an interior serpentine fuel passageway.
摘要:
A piloting fuel injector assembly for a supersonic ramjet engine has a cowl 24, 70 confining a pilot air portion of the airstream. A conical member 34, 74 produces a subsonic recirculation zone 30, 76 and a shock wave falling within the cowl. Pilot fuel injected 40, 82 upstream of the recirculation zone burns stoichiometrically. The exhaust 38, 86 from the cowl is sonic, producing a shock wave which facilitates ignition of the main fuel injected 46, 84 upstream of the cowl exhaust.
摘要:
A "caseless" rocket having a solid propellant grain body which as a result of its shape and surface burning creates, in effect, an outer case or barrier formed by the surrounding airstream and the burning propellant. An exhaust "nozzle" is generated as an annulus in which the air stream serves as one surface while the propellant grain serves as the other. Stores or a payload are enclosed within the propellant body.