MAE 4261: AIR-BREATHING ENGINES

Ramjet Analysis Overview

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department
Florida Institute of Technology

D. R. Kirk
RAMJET BASIC OPERATION
Ramjet has no moving parts
Achieves compression of intake air by forward speed of vehicle
Air entering the intake of a supersonic aircraft is slowed by aerodynamic
diffusion created by the inlet and diffuser to low velocities
Expansion of hot gases after fuel injection and combustion accelerates
exhaust air to a velocity higher than that at inlet and creates positive thrust
Fuel
injectors
KEY RESULTS: RAMJET
Begin with non-dimensional thrust
equation, or specific thrust
Ratio of exit to inlet velocity
expressed as ratio of Mach numbers
and static temperatures. Recall that
for a Ramjet M
e
=M
0
Ramjet specific thrust depends on
temperature ratio across burner, t
b
Compare with H&P EQ. (5.27)
Energy balance across burner
Expression for fuel flow rate for
certain temperature rise of incoming
mass flow and fuel energy, h

Useful propulsion metrics
Specific impulse, thrust specific
fuel consumption, and overall
efficiency
( )
( )
( )
h m
TU
T
m
TSFC
g m
T
I
h
T c
m m
T T c m h m
M M
T
T
M
a m
T
T
T
M
M
RT
RT
M
M
U
U
U
U
M
a m
T
f
overall
f
f
sp
o p
o f
t t p o f
o b o
t
t
o
o o
o
e
o
e
o
e
o
e
o
e
o
e
o
o o

0
0 4
3 4
0
4
3
4
1 1 1
1
=
=
=
=
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
= =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
q
u u
u
u
t

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Figure 5.9 from Hill and Peterson: Ramjet performance parameters vs. flight Mach number
Specific thrust has peak value for set T
max
and Ta
Specific thrust increases as maximum allowable combustor exit temperature increases
Specific fuel consumption decreases with increasing flight Mach number
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
Figure 5.10 from Hill and Peterson: Ramjet performance parameters vs. flight Mach number
Specific thrust has peak value for set T
max
and Ta. Peak is around Mach 2.5
Propulsive, thermal and overall efficiencies increase continually with increasing Flight Mach number

RAMJET POWERED MISSILES
Boeing/MARC CIM-10A BOMARC A Surface-to-Air Missile
Aerojet General LR59-AG-13 liquid rocket; Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-3 ramjets
SOME DETAILS ON BOMARC MISSILE
Flight testing started in 1952
First launch from Cape Canaveral in September of 1952
Bomarc A became fully operational in 1959
Numerous deployments from Florida to Maine defended U.S. eastern sea board
Booster on Bomarc A was source of problems
Fuel was too corrosive to store in missile, so fueling took place immediately
before launch (increasing time to launch)
Fueling process was also quite hazardous, involving three steps (white fuming
nitric acid, analine-furfuryl alcohol, and kerosene)
New model that utilizes a solid fuel booster
Bomarc B became operational in 1961, and featured a safer solid fuel booster
and more powerful sustainers
Boeing built 700 Bomarc missiles between 1957 and 1964, and Bomarc in active
service until 1972
Length 46 ft. 9 in, Wingspan 18 ft. 2 in, Speed Mach 2.8, Range 250 miles,
Ceiling 65,000 ft, Cost: $ 1,154,000 per shot
Propulsion:
One Aerojet General LR59-AG-13 liquid rocket
Two Marquardt RJ43-MA-3 ramjets
MISS BOMARC
http://home.att.net/~ferguspcj/mbomarc/bomarc01.htm
HyFly RAMJET CONCEPT
Hypersonic Flight Demonstration Program
Cruise Flight Mach Number ~ 6
Range 600 nm (1111 km)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/hyfly.htm
HyFly RAMJET CONCEPT
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/hyfly.html
HyFly program was initiated in 2002 by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and
U.S. Navy's ONR (Office of Naval Research) to develop and test a demonstrator for a hypersonic Mach
6+ ramjet-powered cruise missile
Prime contractor for HyFly missile is Boeing, Aerojet builds sustainer engine
Air-launched from F-15E and accelerated to ramjet ignition speed by solid-propellant rocket booster
Engine runs on conventional liquid hydrocarbon fuel (JP-10)
Much easier to handle than cryogenic fuels (LH
2
) used on other hypersonic scramjet vehicles
Sustainer engine of HyFly is a dual-combustion ramjet (DCR) (very complex)
Two different air inlet systems
Operate as a "conventional" ramjet with subsonic combustion
Operate at hypersonic speeds as a scramjet
First scramjet engine (hybrid or otherwise) to demonstrate operability with LH
2
fuel
RAMJET POWERED MISSILES
Orbital Sciences GQM-163 Coyote: Ducted rocket/ramjet engine, Flight speed up to Mach 2.8 at seal-level
http://www.orbital.com/
Hercules MK 70 rocket booster
RUSSIA'S P-700 GRANIT LONG-RANGE ANTI-SHIP
MISSILE (SS-N-19 SHIPWRECK)
Launched by two solid-fuel boosters
before sustained flight with ramjet
Maximum speed believed ~ Mach 2.25
Range is estimated at 550 to 625 km
Weight: 7,000 kg, Length: 10 m,
Diameter: 0.85 m
Altitude up to 65,000 ft
J58 SR-71 ENGINE: RAMJET/TURBOJET HYBRID
http://aerostories.free.fr/technique/J58/J58_01/page8.html
MAIN IDEA: TURBO-RAMJET
J58 TURBO-RAMJET
RAMJET VS. SCRAMJET
Large temp rise associated with deceleration from high speed to M~0.3 for combustion
Solution for increased flight speed: decelerate to lower supersonic speeds in combustor
Combustion very difficult (flame support) in a high speed flow
Vehicle cooling requirements become very challenging
X-51
SUMMARY
Ramjet develops no static thrust

Relies on ram compression of air
Requires high speed flight

Performance depends on increase in stagnation temperature across burner
(combustor)

Efficiencies (thermal, propulsive, and overall) increase with increasing flight Mach
number

Next step: We desire an engine that develops static thrust
Put in a device to mechanically compress air (compressor)
Put in a device to power compressor (turbine)
Solution: Turbojet engine
INTERSTELLAR RAMJET: HYDROGEN-BREATHING ENGINE
In this concept, interstellar hydrogen is scooped to provide propellant mass
Hydrogen is ionized and then collected by an electromagnetic field
Onset of ramjet operation is at a velocity of about 4% speed of light
Typically, interstellar ramjets are very large systems
A ramjet sized for a 45-year manned mission to Alpha Centauri would have a ram
intake 650 km in diameter and weigh 3000 metric tons including payload
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/interstellar_ramjet.html