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A Hypersonic Hybrid Vehicle

ABSTRACT:

An aircraft with Scramjet flies at speed greater than Mach 5. Turbojet.s efficiency is less at higher

Mach speed. We propose the use of Turbojet with Scramjet to start the plane from rest and to

fly it at a speed greater than Mach 5. Due to less density of air at higher altitudes, efficiency of

scramjet reduces. For increasing its efficiency, we propose the use of Plasma and Double delta

wings. Plasma reduces friction by deviating streamlines of air in scramjet and double delta wings

give good lift. By this innovation, the plane can fly at Mach 15 to Mach 20.

INTRODUCTION:

One of the greatest aeronautical research challenges is flying at hypersonic speed

-NASA

The question arises, why should one fly that fast? Four reasons can be enumerated.

1. For faster intercontinental travel.

2. To allow seamless entry to space.

3. For invincible spy planes and strategic bombers and

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4. The last, but probably the most important is the human being.s desire to constantly push

the limits.

Mach is the unit to express the speed. A regular passenger plane flies at the speed of 0.8 Mach.

The military plane flies at Mach 2, Concord flies at Mach 2.02 and the fastest jet . SR-17 Black

bird flies at Mach 3.2. Speeds greater than Mach 5 are called HYPERSONIC SPEED. Hypersonic

speed is defined as that which exceeds Mach 5 which is equivalent to about 3600 miles per hour.

Hyper- X program of NASA opens up frontier for air breathing aircraft with speed measured in

hypersonic zone. The fastest rocket plane X-15 flied once at Mach 6.6 way back in 1960. Flying at

hypersonic speed is difficult.

Conventional turbojet engines, which are now a days used in most commercial aircrafts and

military jets, cannot be used at flying speeds above Mach 3.This is where the RAMJET engines

come in. These can be used far in to the hypersonic area, i.e. at speeds of Mach 5 and over. They

combine a greater range with largest possible weight and more compact construction than

systems currently in use. They utilize atmosphere.s available oxygen to burn fuel. Its fuel

consumption decreases with flight speed and approaches reasonable values between the speed

Mach 2 and Mach 4.

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The Ramjet engines could easily operate in the Mach 7 -9 regions. Above this speed the engines

known as SCRAMJETS come in picture. The engines with subsonic combustion are called

Ramjet; those with supersonic combustion are Scramjets (Supersonic Combustion Ramjets).

Scramjets open speed regime up to Mach 20.

CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF SCRAMJET AND TURBOJET:

TURBOJET:

A gas turbine engine or a turbojet consists of five major sections: an inlet duct, a compressor, a

combustion chamber, a turbine wheel, and an exhaust duct. In addition to the five major sections,

each gas turbine is equipped with an accessory section, a fuel system, a lubrication system, and

an ignition system. Some engines might also incorporate a water injecting system, an afterburner

system, a variable-area exhaust nozzle and system, a variable-geometry compressor, a fan, a

free-power turbine, a propeller-reduction gearbox, and other additional systems and components

to improve or change engine operation, performance, and usage.

Construction and Working of Turbojet:

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The front, or inlet, duct is almost entirely open to permit outside air to enter the front of the engine.

The compressor works on the incoming air and delivers it to the combustion section. The

compressor is basically a cone-shaped cylinder with small fan blades attached in rows. As the air

is forced through the compression stage its pressure rises significantly. In some engines, the

pressure of the air can rise by a factor of 30. This high-pressure air then enters the combustion

area, where a ring of fuel injectors injects a steady stream of fuel. The fuel is generally kerosene,

jet fuel, propane or natural gas. The air entering in the combustion area is highly pressurized and

moving at hundreds of miles per hour. A flame has to be kept burning continuously in that

environment. The piece that solves this problem is called a "flame holder," or sometimes a "can."

(Fig.1). The can is a hollow, perforated piece of heavy metal. Half of the can in cross-section is

shown below:

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Fig. 1

The injectors are shown with red pipes. Compressed air enters through the perforations. The air

fuel mixture is then ignited by devices similar to spark plugs. When the mixture is lighted, the

igniters can be turned off, as the burning process will continue without further assistance as long

as the engine is supplied with proper fuel/air ratio. The fuel air mixture burns at relatively constant

pressure with only 25 percent of the air taking part in the actual combustion process. The balance

of the air is mixed with the products of combustion for cooling before the gases enter the turbine

wheel. The turbine extracts a major portion of energy in the gas stream and uses this energy to

turn the compressor and accessories. The turbines, the shaft and the compressor all turn as a

single unit. (Fig. 2)

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Fig. 2 Turbines, Shaft and Compressor of Turbojet

After leaving the turbine, there is still enough pressure remaining to force the hot gases through

the exhaust duct and jet nozzle at the rear of the engine at very high speeds. The engines thrust

comes from taking a large mass of air in at the front end and expelling it from the tailpipe at a

much higher speed than it had when it entered the compressor. Thrust, then, is equal to mass

flow rate times change in velocity.

Limitations of Turbojet:

In conventional jet engines thrust is created in three stages: Intake (through flight build up) and

compressor provide a building up of pressure, in the combustion chamber air is enriched with

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energy as fuel is burnt. In the turbine and the nozzle the air expands, while the inner energy of the

gas is changed into kinetic energy and thrust.

As flight speeds increase, the quality of the engine process deteriorates. This can be

demonstrated with the help of fuel specific impulses. This thermodynamic quantity describes the

created pressure per fuel mass. This value decreases with increasing speed.

In other words: At higher Mach numbers the fuel consumption increases much more than thrust

can be generated. Above Mach 3 the fuel specific impulse of a scramjet engine is better than that

of a turbojet engine. The compressor is the main reason for this. This turbojet component, which

has several stages, rotors and stators, causes losses. Furthermore turning parts wheels do not

contribute to engine processes at high Mach speeds. With the flight speed the pressure, created

in the air intake through flight build up rises considerably. The share the compressor contributes

to the entire compression sinks accordingly: At Mach 1 the value is about 50 percent, at Mach 2

just 15 percent and at Mach 3 less than four percent. From about three times the speed of sound

the compression created by the speed is enough to keep the engine process going. The

compressor is really not needed at higher speeds. Additionally the rise in temperature caused by

the build up is considerable. The build up temperature at Mach 8 - depending on the altitude - is

between 3,000 and 4,000 degrees Kelvin (between 2,727 and 3,727 C), at Mach 12 about 8,000

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degrees Kelvin. Conventional compressors cannot be used at such high temperatures, because

the compressor blades cannot be cooled and materials, which are able to withstand these

temperatures, do not exist.

SCRAMJET ENGINE:

A scramjet engine is an air breathing engine system which does not have any moving parts. At

high flying speeds air in the intake is compressed so much just by the forward movement that a

compressor, which is needed in turbojet engines, is not necessary. This is the main difference

between Scramjets and conventional turbojet engines, which are basically made up of five

components: intake, compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and nozzle If in the logical

sequence compressor is omitted, turbine becomes superfluous, the sole purpose of which is to

drive compressor. This is how the scramjet engine is far simpler in construction, consisting only of

intake, combustion chamber and nozzle.

Construction and working of scramjet

Scramjets (supersonic-combustion ramjets) are those in which the airflow through the whole

engine remains supersonic. It is mechanically simple, but vastly more complex aerodynamically

than a jet engine. The engine consists of a supersonic diffuser, a subsonic diffuser section, a

combustion chamber and a discharge nozzle section (fig. 3).


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The function of supersonic and subsonic diffusers is to convert the kinetic energy of the entering

air into a pressure rise. The scramjet engine operates as follows. Air from the atmosphere enters

the engine, and, after its velocity has been reduced and its static pressure increased by

supersonic diffuser, the air enters the subsonic diffuser wherein it is compressed further. The air

then flows into the combustion chamber, wherein the fuel burners are located, and here it is

heated to a high temperature (1500C to 2000C) by the continuous combustion of fuel. The

highly heated products of combustion are then allowed to expand with a speed exceeding that of

the entering air. Because of the rate of increase in the momentum of the working fluid through the

engine, a thrust is developed in the direction of flight.

Fig. 3 Line diagram of Scramjet

With the scramjet the mixing of air and fuel is considerably bad because of high speeds at the

entrance to the combustion chamber between Mach 2 and Mach 3, at the exist between Mach 1.2

and Mach 1.6. This makes combustion not very effective. For this reason the combustion

chamber has to be elongated to guarantee satisfactory mixing. In a scramjet powered aircraft,

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there must be tight integration between the airframe and the engine. Scramjet technology is

challenging because only limited testing can be performed in ground facilities. Long duration, full-

scale testing requires flight test speeds above Mach 8. X-43 Hyper-X, NASA's tested for the

scramjet, serves this purpose. To get the engine to that speed, some other power has to be used.

In the Hyper-X, this will be provided by OSC's Pegasus booster. It must be noted here that

scramjets are good only for sustaining hypersonic speeds, not for achieving them from

zero.

Limitations of scramjet:

Aircrafts flying at speeds greater than Mach 3 have to fly at a great height. This is done because

of several reasons. Few of them can be enumerated below:

i. At higher altitude density of air is less so the resistance of air experienced by aircraft is

less.

ii. To avoid radar waves

iii. To avoid bullets of antiaircraft guns.

An aircraft with scramjet will have less efficiency at greater heights. This is because the scramjet

is an air breathing engine. As the density of air is less, less compression is created at the intake

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as compared to that at lower altitude. And as less compression is created, efficiency directly

reduces.

Apart from this there is one more difficulty in the operation of Scramjet and that is, neither ramjet

nor scramjet can operate at speeds below Mach 2 or 3. If the vehicle is to start of its own a

combination of the scramjet engine with other engine systems becomes necessary. Since the

compressor is lacking in a scramjet engine there is pressure built-up and airflow in the engine

when the vehicle is not moving. This means: There is no air breathing engine that can cover the

full operational range from take-off to hypersonic speeds. But, a hypersonic aircraft cannot just

take off at Mach 3. It has to take off and cover the whole speed range. This makes it necessary to

accelerate the vehicle by other means until the ramjet/scramjet engine can kick in at around Mach

3. This can be done with the help of a booster rocket or by mounting this plane blow other plane.

When this plane reaches speed of Mach 2 or 3, scramjets ignite and the plane with scramjet is

released which is free to fly at speeds between Mach 15 -20. But this complete process is very

expensive and time consuming.

Following two challenges have emerged by now.

1. At higher altitudes, the density of air is less so mass of air entering the scramjet would be

less thereby reducing its efficiency.

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2. Scramjets cannot start when the plane is at rest i.e. at speed 0 Mach.

INNOVATION:

1st challenge:

As we know by now that Scramjet has the capacity to fly at the speed of Mach 15 to Mach 20. But

the efficiency of Scramjet greatly depends on the amount of air intake .moreover at higher

altitudes density of air is less .So the total mass of air entering the scramjet would also be less

and hence less compression is created which reduces its efficiency but still it is more than turbojet

engine.

So to enhance the capability of Scramjet engine, it is desirable to increase air intake at higher

altitudes. This paper proposes the use of

-Plasma

-Double Delta Wings

Use of plasma

To increase the working or efficiency of a scramjet, the fourth state of matter plasma can be used.

Plasma being an ionised state of matter, can be radiated and possess the properties of friction or

resistance to air.

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Plasma consists of a collection of free-moving electrons and ions - atoms that have lost electrons.

Energy is needed to strip electrons from atoms to make plasma. The energy can be of various

origins: thermal, electrical, or light (ultraviolet light or intense visible light from a laser). With

insufficient sustaining power, plasmas recombine into neutral gas.

Plasma can be accelerated and steered by electric and magnetic fields which allows it to be

controlled and applied. Plasma research is yielding a greater understanding of the universe.

Plasma temperatures and densities range from relatively cool and tenuous to very hot and dense.

(Fig.4) Ordinary solids, liquids, and gases are both electrically neutral and too cool or dense to be

in a plasma state (Fig 5).

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Fig.4. Graph of Temperature vs. Density for Plasma

Fig.5. Comparison of solid, liquid, gas and plasma

Due to these properties of plasma, it can be utilized to increase the working efficiency of scramjet.

An aircraft which does not use plasma radiation creates more friction at its nose thereby

increasing drag to a great extent. (Fig. 6) Consider that at the nose of the plane on which scramjet

is placed; we place a device which generates and radiates plasma in the direction of motion of

plane. This radiation should take place up to certain specified distance. Now at the tip of the

plasma radiation, the friction takes place and the air is cut by this plasma tip. As air is being cut

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by plasma tip and not by the nose of the plane the resistance of air or drag reduces to a great

extent. Moreover this plasma can regulate the stream lines of air is such a way that the body of

plane has minimum friction. But along with this, plasma regulates the streamlines in such a way

that maximum amount of air gets compressed and enters the scramjet at relatively high velocity.

Thus this phenomenon can help the working of scramjet as well as reduce the friction.

Fig 6 Aircraft without Plasma

Use of double delta wings

Delta or double delta wings are used in aircrafts flying at speeds more than Mach 2. Here we use

double delta wings which give lift to the plane as well as it is used to guide the streamlines of air.

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The scramjets are placed at the junction of the two deltas. The first delta is used to divert the

streamlines and the second delta gives lift and balance.

Steps to increase the mass of air entering the Scramjet.

In following steps it can be seen that how plasma and double delta wings increase the amount of

air entering the scramjet. There are mainly three streamlines of air which are shown by red, green

and purple lines in the diagram (Fig.7). Moreover it can be clearly seen that how do they deviate

in the following steps.

1. When the plasma is radiated it cuts through the air and causes disturbance in form of

shock waves. These waves in turn cause change in path of the nearby streamlines and

thus the streamlines of air deviate from straight path. These deviated streamlines are

shown by red arrows.

2. We use a double delta wing in this plane. This is a very important part because of the

following reasons:

When the air reaches the first delta, it deviates and its motion is parallel to the sides of

the first delta. (.lines are shown in purple ink.)

Now the scramjets are located at the point where the first delta and the second delta

meet.

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This is done because the stream lines which are deviated by the first delta which are

running parallel to its sides are directly introduced in the scramjet.

3. Moreover certain streamlines are not deviated from the path because they are far away

from the point of impact of plasma with air (These are shown by .green arrows..)

4. Now scramjets are located at such a place below the wing that these two types of

treamlines .deviated. and .non-deviated. meet.

Due to this maximum amount of air will be entering in the scramjet with large amount of

pressure.

Thus the scramjet can attain greater speed and can ignite at lesser speed.

Due to radiation of plasma, the streamlines are deviated as discussed earlier and so they become

parallel to the surface of the body of the plane. ( Fig.7). As their motion becomes parallel to the

fuselage of the plane, very less amount of resistance or force of friction due to air is experienced.

Hence the plane can move smoothly without much resistance of air.

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Fig 7 Aircraft with Plasma and Double Delta Wings

2nd challenge:

The basic limitation of scramjet engine is that it cannot start from rest. Moreover the engine will

stop when the plane comes below the speed of Mach 2. So there is a need of gas turbine engine

to be used in the range of Mach 0 to Mach 2 or 3. The gas turbine engine should be located in

such a place that it does not hinder the function of Scramjet. So the most suitable place for it is in

the fuselage.

Location of Gas Turbine Engine:

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i. There is one gas turbine engine in the fuselage behind the cockpit. (Fig8.)

ii. There are three ports below the cockpit for inlet of air to the gas turbine engine. The air is

sucked by the turbojet engine through these ports.

iii. When the scramjet starts, the flap on the ports close so that no air enters gas turbine

engine and is diverted in desired way.

Sequence of operations :

i. The gas turbine engine starts the plane from rest and takes the plane up to Mach 2.

ii. Now at Mach 2, the scramjet ignites and covers the range of speed up to Mach 15-20.

iii. Simultaneously plasma is radiated and efficiency of scramjet is increased so that speed

of plane goes beyond Mach 20.

iv. Similarly while landing when the plane reaches Mach 3 or Mach 2, gas turbine engine is

ignited and plane lands on its support. At this time the scramjets are not working.

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Fig 8.Aircraft with Scramjet and Turbojet.

CONCLUSION:

Reviewing the functioning of turbojet engine, and scramjet engine, the combination of both is very

useful in flying the plane at hypersonic speed from rest. With the use of plasma and double delta

wings, scramjet.s efficiency can be highly enhanced. Thus the challenge of flying at hypersonic

speed at higher altitude and space traveling can be met.

REFERENCE:

1. Trinklein, F.E. and Huffer, C.M., Modern Space Science, New York. Holt, Rinehart and

Winston Inc. 1961

2. Anderson John, D. JR, Fundamentals of Aerodynamics.

3. Alasu, Valan, A, Turbo Machines, Vikas publishing house (Pvt) LTD.

4. Khajuria, P.R. and Dubey, P.R., Gas turbines and propulsive system, Dhanpat Rai

Publications (P) LTD. (1992, 97)

5. Yahya, S.M, Turbines, compressors and fans, New Delhi, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing

Company limited. (1983), reprint (1997)

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6. Miles, E.R.C., Supersonic Aerodynamics (A theoretical introduction), New York, Dover

Publications, Inc. (1950).

WEBSITES:

www.nasa.org ,

www.jetpropulsion.com ,

www.plasma.com

www.aviationhistory.com/engines/ramjet.htm,

www.space.com/missionlaunches/hyshot_020816.html,

www.physics.uq.edu.au/lp/lasdiag/scram.html,

oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/Hyper-X.html,

www.mech.uq.edu.au/hyper/hyshot,

www.time.com/time/2002/inventions/tra_scramjet.html,

news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1629000/1629739.stm.

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