Air-breathing jet flies at 5,000mph

Electronic Telegraph ^ | 17/08/2002 | Roger Highfield, Science Editor

[aculeus]

Aviation has entered the era of the hypersonic jet after an air-breathing engine exceeded 5,000mph.

The "hypersonic ignition" by the scramjet is one of the most important milestones in aviation since the sound barrier was broken in 1947. The technology could slash the cost of launching satellites, which rely on huge supplies of oxygen on board.

It also raises the possibility that, one day, passenger aircraft could fly from London to Sydney in a few hours.

The first detailed analysis of data from the launch last month in Australia shows that the scramjet, which has no moving parts, had reached 7.6 times the speed of sound (Mach 7.6). Hypersonic travel starts at Mach 5.

Rather than carry onboard oxygen to burn hydrogen fuel, a scramjet engine scoops up and compresses oxygen as it travels through the atmosphere, cutting launch costs considerably.

The initiative by the University of Queensland, backed by an international consortium that includes QinetiQ in Britain, involved the world's first flight test of an air-breathing ramjet engine, also known as a scramjet, on July 30.

After analysing data from the test, the project leader, Dr Allan Paull, of the University of Queensland's "HyShot" programme, announced yesterday: "Our honest understanding from preliminary data is that the experiment worked. We'll now be submitting the results to international peer review."

The test of the air-breathing engine capable of speeds in excess of Mach 5 was the first time engineers had made a scramjet work in flight, outside an air tunnel.

Last month, a Terrier Orion Mk70 rocket fitted with the scramjet had been launched from Woomera, a former British rocket testing range in the south Australian desert, to an altitude of nearly 200 miles. It was allowed to plunge back to Earth.

The scramjet was supposed to kick into action on the way back down 22 miles above Earth, with data transmitted by radio until it began to burn up at about 12 miles up. This ignition took place within the last few seconds of the 10-minute flight.

Then the team faced a nail-biting wait for the telemetry officers to come in from the dust with their precious data, before analysis could begin.

The ground-breaking Australian experiment, which cost about £500,000, came after a failed test a year ago of Nasa's multi-million dollar, unmanned X-43A scramjet prototype and a previous failed launch by the HyShot crew.

The HyShot scramjet has previously worked in a wind tunnel test, where the Mach 5 speeds at which it operates could be simulated.

Dr Paull said that he was negotiating with various groups to conduct a £30 million programme of six flights over five years, leading to a free flying scramjet engine.

Prof John Hay, Vice-Chancellor of University of Queensland, said: "Dr Paull has received approaches from top Australian researchers based in Nasa, Boeing and other organisations keen to return to Australia to work on the HyShot program if suitable funding is available."

[pbear8]

Does this mean that we can make the jump into hyperspace without a Wookie?

[mjp]

RELATED ARTICLE: More Trust, Less Cash

It takes a special kind of propulsion system to boost a vehicle from runway to space at thousands of miles an hour. The rocket-based combined cycle engine, or RBCC, would employ rocket, "ramjet" and "scramjet" engines to thrust hypersonic planes to the highest reaches of Earth's atmosphere.

Rocket engines are the lightest type of engine per pound of thrust, but they must carry both fuel and oxygen. But carrying thousands of pounds of liquid oxygen into space is costly about $10,000 per pound. To provide lowercost access to space, engineers are looking to advanced types of "airbreathing" jet engines.

Conventional jet engines develop thrust by compressing air with spinning turbine blades. In a "ramjet" engine, there are no moving parts. Instead, air is compressed by the forward speed of the plane itself. The air passes through a funnel-like chamber that slows it to subsonic speeds, allowing fuel combustion.

Ramjets have been used for years to propel missiles and some of the world's fastest planes, including the SR-71 "Blackbird" spy. But ramjets cannot operate much beyond Mach 5, so the next generation of jet engines -- scram jets are being tested for use at the so-called "hypersonic" range. In a scramjet ("supersonic combustion ramjet"), incoming air is slowed down slightly but remains supersonic.

Hypersonic planes would use rockets to get them to supersonic speeds, ramjets to reach Mach 5 or 6 and scramjets to cruise at speeds of Mach 10 to 12 or to turn on the rockets again and go into orbit. The ramjets and scramjets would be fueled by liquid hydrogen, the highest-performance fuel available.

A full-scale version of an RBCC engine under development by Aerojet, a Sacramento aerospace company, would be 50 feet long, 20 feet wide and weigh 12,000 pounds. It would burn about 1,000 pounds of propellant per second but generate as much as 400,000 pounds of thrust.

[xrp]

Mr Scott...we'll be going to warp speed.

[SubMareener]

The Wookie is running for Governor in Florida. ;-)

[pbear8]

My husband says those Gilette triple edged blades are great. Perhaps someone should tell Janet.

[ken in texas]

The Wookie is running for Governor in Florida. ;-)

Sir... I've seen a Wookie, I've known Wookies, she's no Wookie.

She's ..... words fail me.

[hoot2]

"She's ..... words fail me."

a "democrat"

[Enemy Of The State]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....you said the "D" word

[Looking for Diogenes]

It has taken 50 years since it was conceived to actually build a working model of a scramjet engine. I predict it is going to be a very long time before this is translated into a practical aircraft of any kind. The likeliest use is a hypersonic cruise missile.

[Guillermo]

No, that's the Wookies uncle.

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>>I predict it is going to take a long time to make a working model out of this technology<<<


But what if Newt Gingrich's prize idea is implemented? Government contracts encourage lethargy, inflation, and jealous protectionism. Adequate prizes, on the other hand, inspire numerous companies to compete as efficiently as possible. For more on Newt's insightful idea:

http://www.spaceprojects.com/prizes

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[End The Hypocrisy]

Notice how NASA, despite its $15 billion dollar annual budget (thanks to us taxpayers) had relatively NOTHING to do with this scramjet breakthrough? The reasons why NASA will remain so mediocre are numerous, and discussed at the following politically CONSERVATIVE watchdog website:

http://www.NASAWatch.INFO

Let's privatize as much of it as the pork-loving Congress, and the greedy government contractors will allow...

[jwh_Denver]

Hell the Air Force has had scram jets for years. It's called the Aurora and does about 6,000 mph. Because of it's design the wind drafts along the plane allow for external combustion and is so powerful the engine turns off and on. Gives a sound like tearing metal. I think the Air Force likes the Aussies talking about this plane because they still don't admit the B-17 existed. Ok, a little exageration.

[End The Hypocrisy]

I neglected to mention the worst element of all at NASA: the bureaucrats, who are jealous as heck of competition and who protect their niche most deceptively (as http://www.spaceprojects.com/Mir illustrates).

[Looking for Diogenes]

Adequate prizes, on the other hand, inspire numerous companies to compete as efficiently as possible.

In the past most such prizes have been privately funded. I think that is a great idea.

[Howie]

How about a baby-sized, Howitzer launched/boosted, extreme-range artillery shell? (using the scram jet at the end of the flight) My God, the sound alone should get immediate surrender.

[End The Hypocrisy]

You're right. Fortunately though, reformers inside of NASA have tried to make it possible for at least some of NASA's billions to bo towards funding prizes, as http://www.spaceprojects.com/prizes documents.

[RJayneJ]

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