Propulsion - II
Ramjet performance
• For ramjet and scramjet engines, the
exit mass flow is nearly equal to the
free stream mass flow, since very
little fuel is added to the stream
• The thrust equation for ramjets and
scramjets contain three terms:
• Gross thrust
• Ram drag
• Pressure correction
Ramjet performance
• Aerodynamicists often refer to
the first term (exit mass flow rate
times exit velocity) as the gross
thrust, since this term is largely
associated with conditions in the
nozzle.
Ramjet performance
• The second term (free stream
mass flow rate times free stream
velocity) is called the ram drag.
This term can be quite large for
scramjet engines
Ramjet performance
• For ramjets and scramjets, the nozzle exit
velocity is supersonic, and the exit pressure
depends on the area ratio between the throat
of the nozzle and the exit of the nozzle.
• Only for a unique design condition is the exit
pressure equal the free stream static pressure.
• For all other conditions, we must include the
third term of the thrust equation (exit
pressure minus free stream pressure times
the exit area).
• This pressure correction is usually small
compared to the first term of the thrust
equation. But for completeness, this term is
usually included in the gross thrust.
Ramjet performance
• Fuel Air Ratio
• To find the Isp, we will need to find the ramjet fuel-air ratio, f.
• Using a control volume around the burner,
• From the steady flow energy equation:
• The exit mass flow is not greatly different from the inlet mass flow
Ramjet performance
• because the fuel-air ratio is much less than unity (generally several
percent).
• We thus neglect the difference between the mass flows and obtain
Ramjet performance
• The fuel-air ratio f, depends on the fuel
properties the desired flight
parameters , the ramjet
performance , and the temperature of
the atmosphere
Ramjet performance
• The specific impulse for the ramjet is given by
• The specific impulse can be written in terms of fuel properties and
flight and vehicle characteristics as
Ramjet performance
• To make effective comparisons, we need to add some additional
information concerning the operational behavior.
• An important case to examine is when we have stoichiometric
conditions and all the fuel burns (denoted by f stioch )
What happens in this situation as the flight
Mach number Mo increases?
What happens the Tt3 value increases to
higher value?
Ramjet performance
• the maximum temperature does not increase much because of
dissociation: the reaction does not go to completion at high
temperature
• A useful approximation is therefore to take Tt4 constant for
stoichiometric operation
Ramjet performance
• For the stoichiometric ramjet,
Ramjet performance
• A plot of the performance of the
stoichiometric ramjet is shown.
• The figure shows that for the
parameters used, the best
operating range of a
hydrocarbon-fueled ramjet is
• The parameters used are
Ramjet design
• For high supersonic or hypersonic
flight, the ideal propulsion system
is a ramjet.
• A ramjet uses the forward speed
of the aircraft to compress the
incoming air and, therefore, has
fewer moving parts than a
turbine engine.
Ramjet design
• For high supersonic or hypersonic
flight, the ideal propulsion system
is a ramjet.
• A ramjet uses the forward speed
of the aircraft to compress the
incoming air and, therefore, has
fewer moving parts than a
turbine engine.
Ramjet design
• At the front of the engine, to the
left, is the inlet, which brings
outside air into the engine. At
the exit of the inlet, the air is at
a much higher pressure than
free stream conditions
• Fuel is injected and mixed for
combustion just downstream of
the inlet.
Ramjet design
• The resulting flame is stabilized
in the engine by the red flame
holder ring
• This part is very similar to an
afterburner in a fighter jet
engine.
• The hot exhaust then passes
through the nozzle, which is
shaped to accelerate the flow
and produce thrust.
Ramjet design
• The resulting flame is stabilized
in the engine by the red flame
holder ring
• This part is very similar to an
afterburner in a fighter jet
engine.
• The hot exhaust then passes
through the nozzle, which is
shaped to accelerate the flow
and produce thrust.
Ramjet design
• For ramjet-powered aircraft, the
inlet must bring the high speed
external flow down to subsonic
conditions in the burner.
• High stagnation temperatures
are present in this speed regime
and variable geometry may not
be an option for the inlet
designer because of possible
flow leaks through the hinges
Integral Ram Rocket
• Modern concepts of guided missiles impose increased requirements
for speed and range in order to improve the stand-off conditions of
the carrier and the penetration capability of the missile
• The requirements for engine economy are so high that they cannot be
fulfilled by rocket engines
• Therefore, it becomes necessary to use air breathing engines which
offer a gain in specific impulse
• Among these air breathing engines, the ram-type engine is
particularly well suited as a missile sustainer because of its simple and
rigid design
Integral Ram Rocket
• Compared with the turbojet engine, the ram-type engine exhibits
nearly no disadvantage in fuel consumption if the Mach number is
high enough
• The ram-type engine has two prominent characteristics
• the positive feature is its extreme simplicity
• the negative characteristic is the lack of zero velocity start capability
Integral Ram Rocket
• Long Range air to air, Air to surface, surface to air missile/propulsion
system requirements are:
• Long Range
• High Speed
• Demanding Launch Aircrafts Compatibility Requirements
• High Packaging Density (Missiles are typically volume limited)
• Low Cost
• These design requirements are best satisfied with use of ramjet
propulsion
OPERATIONAL RAMJET POWERED MISSILE
SYSTEMS
The Air Turbo Rocket
• the ATR, is an air breathing propulsion engine which combines
elements from both turbojets and rocket engines
The Air Turbo Rocket
• A source of hot, high energy, fuel-rich gas is used to drive a turbine,
which in turn drives a compressor.
• The compressor compresses incoming atmospheric air, like a turbojet,
which then flows into a combustion chamber, which is much like an
afterburner (or reheater) on a turbojet
• The fuel-rich gas which was used to drive the turbine also flows into
the combustion chamber
• Within this combustor chamber, the compressed air from the
compressor and the fuel-rich turbine drive gas are mixed, burned, and
then expanded through a nozzle to produce thrust
The Air Turbo Rocket
• The source of the hot, high energy fuel-rich gas is generically known
as the gas generator, and it can be configured in a number of different
ways
• The hot gas can be produced by mixing and burning a liquid or
gaseous fuel and oxidizer combination, by the use of a mono-
propellant gas generator, or by the burning of a solid propellant.
These configurations are known as gas-generator
• The fundamental difference between the ATR and the turbojet lies in
the relationship between the compressor and turbine.
The Air Turbo Rocket
• In a turbojet, the turbine and the compressor are coupled
thermodynamically, i.e. power output of the turbine is the power
input into the compressor, and aerodynamically
• In the ATR, the turbine and compressor are coupled
thermodynamically, but are not coupled aerodynamically. This
coupling difference is the source of the major performance
differences between the turbojet and the ATR
• Combustor in ATR works as a After burner .since in Normal Turbojet
Engine, combustor is placed between compressor and turbine.