Optimal supersonic intake design for air collection engines (ACE)

The success of Air Collection Engines (ACE) depends on the efficient integr ation of the many sub-systems involved. This article describes the tools de veloped to design a supersonic air intake of the mixed external/internal co mpression type that will feed the engine or the air liquefaction plant or b oth, during the different phases of the mission. One design procedure aims at finding the shape of minimum total pressure losses. An alternative strat egy aims at designing intakes which attain prescribed Mach number and flow deviation at the throat. Two design points are selected and their off-desig n behavior is predicted by space- and time-marching CFD models. The CFD ana lyses eventually provide the performance charts of the air intakes. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.