Ramjet propulsion for projectiles - An overview of worldwide achievements and future opportunities

Ramjet propulsion for gun-launched projectiles has received substantial attention since the invention of the ramjet engine concept in 1913. After the second World War, projectiles using solid fuel gained interest due to their inherent simplicity and robustness. Throughout the world, research and development programs have been and still are being...

Sustained combustion limits of a central dump solid fuel ramjet combustor at high altitude operational conditions

Solid Fuel Ramjet (SFRJ) technology is a very attractive propulsion option to extend the range of gun launched projectiles mainly due to the combination of high specific impulse inherent to airbreathing propulsion and mechanical properties of the solid fuel capable of withstanding the very high launch loads in the gun. In 2004, the Netherlands...

Design of a new thermal vacuum chamber for space instrument calibration

Hyperheat: A thermal signature model for super-and hypersonic missiles

In performance prediction of IR sensor systems for missile detection, apart from the sensor specifications, target signatures are essential variables. Very often, for velocities up to Mach 2-2.5, a simple model based on the aerodynamic heating of a perfect gas was used to calculate the temperatures of missile targets. This typically results in...

Proof-of-principle experiment of a shock-induced combustion ramjet

By injecting and mixing the fuel upstream of the combustor and initiating the combustion of the fuel-air mixture by a shock wave in the combustor, shock-induced combustion ramjets offer the potential to drastically reduce the length and mass of scramjet propulsion systems. Based on extensive numerical gas dynamic and thermo-mechanical analysis,...

Ramjets: Thermal management – An integrated engineering approach

Within the framework of the VKI/RTO Lecture Series on ‘High Speed Propulsion: Engine Design – Integration and Thermal Management’, this lecture focuses on thermal management of ramjet propulsion systems. This is done by describing an engineering model that can be used to perform an integrated thermal analysis of a supersonic/hypersonic ramjet...

Extension and application of a scaling technique for duplication of in-flight aerodynamic heat flux in ground test facilities

To enable direct experimental duplication of the inflight heat flux distribution on supersonic and hypersonic vehicles, an aerodynamic heating scaling technique has been developed. The scaling technique is based on the analytical equations for convective heat transfer for laminar and turbulent boundary layers that follow from applying the...

Internal flow characteristics of a rectangular ramjet air intake

Two research institutes TNO Defence, Security and Safety and DRDC-Valcartier have worked together on the improvement of modeling and simulation tools for the functioning of supersonic air intakes for realistic ramjet engines of tactical missiles. The emphasis laid on complex rectangular intake designs making use of an internal bleed system and...

Proof-of-principle experiment of a shock-induced combustion ramjet

By injecting and mixing the fuel upstream of the combustor and initiating the combustion of the fuel-air mixture by a shock wave in the combustor, shock-induced combustion ramjets offer the potential to drastically reduce the length and mass of scramjet propulsion systems. Based on extensive numerical gas dynamic and thermo-mechanical analysis,...

Design of a shock-induced combustion experiment in an axisymmetric configuration with hydrogen injection

This work presents a design for a shock-induced combustion experiment using a two-angle cone configuration. Three injector geometries were considered: a cone surface, a dual stage configuration with rectangular gaps (DSRG) and a cylindrical ramp (CR). Four parameters were investigated: the penetration height, the mixing efficiency, the control...

Bringing solid fuel ramjet projectiles closer to application - An overview of the TNO/RWMS technology demonstration programme

TNO executed a technology demonstration programme in co-operation with RWMS on the application of solid fuel ramjet propulsion technology to medium calibre air defence projectiles. From 2000 to 2004 a complete and integrated structural and aero-thermodynamic projectile design was conceived satisfying the gun related requirements on projectile...

Flight test results of the Swedish-Dutch solid fuel ramjet propelled projectile

Overview of the Swedish-Dutch co-operation programme on solid fuel ramjet propelled projectiles

Design study of a ramjet propelled projectile with a frangible penetrator