Air breathing engine concepts to: operate from takeoff to low Earth orbit; provide a high level of specific impulse during air breathing operation; have a high thrust-to-weight ratio; generate a thrust in the range 500 to 1000 kN for the entire propulsion system; have a high thrust per unit of frontal area in the air breathing mode; have a high reliability; allow engine static test and rig test without complex and expensive flight simulation test facilities; and allow a reasonable confidence in performance prediction during the early design phase were assessed. Turborocket without and with inlet air cooler, ramrocket, and tuborocket-ramrocket were considered. The ramrocket is a simple engine. To extend air breathing propulsion beyond Mach 7, supersonic combustion must be evaluated. The use of a rocket for takeoff seems to be penalizing (Isp = 370s) but should be confirmed through a vehicle/engine integration system study. The turborocket-rocket is limited in Mach number below 5 to 6 in the air breathing mode. To extend it, an intake air cooler is necessary but looks very heavy. The turborocket-ramrocket represents a good compromise between ramjet and turborocket (performance/weight). The air breathing mode is limited to Mach 7 as for the ramjet. The extension of this mode is also related to the evaluation of supersonic combustion.


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    Title :

    Evaluation of the Advanced Air Breathing Propulsion Concepts, Executive Summary


    Publication date :

    1987


    Size :

    22 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English