Application studies were performed to investigate the feasibility of the solid fuel ramjet combustion cycle at very high flight speeds. Two different vehicles with specific missions were considered: a ramjet assisted kinetic energy penetrator and a high speed air-to-air missile. A simple method, based on the net thrust/drag ratio, is presented to make an assessment of the performance potential of both HTPB (Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene)-fuelled vehicles over a wide range of flight Mach numbers. The performance of the propulsion system of both vehicles is investigated in more detail at realistic flight conditions, both theoretically and experimentally. The results show that a constant velocity flight of a ramjet assisted kinetic energy penetrator seems to be possible at a sea level Mach 4 flight condition without the use of complex fuel or grain geometry. However, improvement of the fuel performance and/or adaptation of the fuel grain is required for the air-to-air missile to perform a Mach 4 sustained flight. It must be noted that some assumptions made in the presented theoretical application studies, especially with respect to the method of drag calculation, were not validated experimentally for the vehicle geometries considered.


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    Title :

    Ramjet Applications of the Solid Fuel Combustion Chamber


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1991


    Size :

    18 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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