Strutjet engine performance

To increase the technology readiness level of hypersonic scramjet technolog y, an innovative strut-based dual-mode ramjet engine design capable of powe ring a hypersonic vehicle at speeds from Mach 4 to 8 is investigated. Two v ersions of the engine are under development: a dual-mode (ramjet/scramjet) engine for missile applications and a rocket-based combined cycle engine fo r space access. This paper will discuss the features of the dual-mode engin e design and how they contribute to overall engine performance. Engine comp onent performance was evaluated using a combination of analysis and compone nt testing. Inlet performance data (mass capture, pressure recovery, and in let/isolator pressure ratio) were obtained from wind-tunnel testing and cor related with model and full-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analys es. Combustor performance data (combustion efficiency, fuel-injection perfo rmance, and pressure distributions) were obtained from full-scale direct-co nnect combustor testing. Nozzle losses and efficiency were obtained from CF D analysis. Performance parameters derived from these component tests and a nalyses were fed into a standard hypersonic engine cycle code to predict fl ight engine performance. The demonstrated component performance values were extrapolated to determine predicted component performance at the end of en gine development, which were used to compute the vision flight engine perfo rmance.