Established analyses of conventional ramjet/scramjet performance characteristics indicate that a considerable decrease in efficiency can be expected at off-design flight conditions. This can be explained, in large part, by the deterioration of intake mass flow and limited inlet compression at low flight speeds and by the onset of thrust degradation effects associated with increased burner entry temperature at high flight speeds. In combination, these effects tend to impose lower and upper Mach number limits for practical flight. It has been noted, however, that Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy management techniques represent a possible means for extending the flight Mach number envelope of conventional engines. By transferring enthalpy between different stages of the engine cycle, it appears that the onset of thrust degradation may be delayed to higher flight speeds. Obviously, the introduction of additional process inefficiencies is inevitable with this approach, but it is believed that these losses are more than compensated through optimization of the combustion process. The fundamental idea is to use MHD energy conversion processes to extract and bypass a portion of the intake kinetic energy around the burner. We refer to this general class of propulsion system as an MHD-bypass engine. In this paper, we quantitatively assess the performance potential and scientific feasibility of MHD-bypass airbreathing hypersonic engines using ideal gasdynamics and fundamental thermodynamic principles.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic-Bypass Airbreathing Hypersonic Engines


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1999


    Size :

    17 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic-Bypass Hypersonic Airbreathing Engines

    Ron J. Litchford / John W. Cole / Valentine A. Bityurin et al. | AIAA | 2001



    Hypersonic airbreathing propulsion

    Avery, W.H. / Dugger, G.L. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1964


    Hypersonic Airbreathing Missile

    Hunt, J. L. / Lawing, P. L. / Marcum, D. C., Jr. | NTRS | 1978