Axisymmetric scramjet inlet operation with varying cowl positions

Kerr, Mitchell (2013) Axisymmetric scramjet inlet operation with varying cowl positions. [USQ Project]

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Abstract

The starting behaviour of scramjet inlets is a widely researched area as scramjets have the potential to reduce the cost and improve efficiencies in applications where rockets are traditionally used. The main advantages of scramjet engines are; they have no moving parts, they do not need to carry oxidizers and they are capable of flying at very high speeds.

This project analyses the starting behaviour of a typical axisymmetric scramjet inlet. The inlet consists of a conical forebody with a half angle of 12.28 degrees and a typical axisymmetric cowl. The inlet was tested in the TUSQ hypersonic wind tunnel facility located at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland. The inlet
was analyzed under both static cowl conditions and dynamic cowl conditons. To be able to test the inlet a mechanical means of guiding and actuating the cowl was first designed and developed. The design is based on a simple piston and bore concept where pressuised air is used to accelerate the cowl forwards. Once the guidance and actuation system was manufactured it was apparent that some aspects of the system
were flawed which meant not all conclusions drawn could be completely validated. The flaw in the system is that the cowl leading edge has a total movement of approximately
1.7 mm in the vertical direction. This movement meant that the results from the static cowl tests are merely estimates and cannot be taken as exact. The results of the dynamic cowl condition are still valid because the main objective of the dynamic test is to investigate if the actuation of the cowl differs the results from the static tests.

The final static results indicate that the Kantrowitz limit is a very good estimate of where the inlet can self start, while the dynamic test results indicate that it is possible
to change the inlet starting behaviour by implementing and actuating cowl.


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Item Type: USQ Project
Item Status: Live Archive
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2021)
Supervisors: Buttsworth, David
Date Deposited: 27 Feb 2014 05:59
Last Modified: 27 Feb 2014 05:59
Uncontrolled Keywords: axisymmetric scramjet; inlet operation; cowl positions; tusq
Fields of Research (2008): 09 Engineering > 0901 Aerospace Engineering > 090107 Hypersonic Propulsion and Hypersonic Aerodynamics
Fields of Research (2020): 40 ENGINEERING > 4001 Aerospace engineering > 400106 Hypersonic propulsion and hypersonic aerothermodynamics
URI: https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/24639

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