Design of Modular, Shape-transitioning Inlets for a Conical Hypersonic Vehicle

Abstract

For a hypersonic vehicle, propelled by scramjet engines, integration of the engines and airframe is highly desirable. Thus, the forward capture shape of the engine inlet should conform to the vehicle body shape. Furthermore, the use of modular engines places a constraint on the shape of the inlet sidewalls. Finally, one may desire a combustor crosssection shape that is different from that of the inlet. These shape constraints for the inlet can be accommodated by employing a streamline-tracing and lofting technique. This design technique was developed by Smart for inlets with a rectangular-to-elliptical shape transition. In this paper, we generalise that technique to produce inlets that conform to arbitrary shape requirements. As an example, we show the design of a body-integrated hypersonic inlet on a winged-cone vehicle, typical of what might be used in a three-stage orbital launch system. The special challenge of inlet design for this conical vehicle at an angle-of-attack is also discussed. That challenge is that the bow shock sits relatively close to the vehicle body.

Hypersonic Inlet for a Laser Powered Propulsion System

“…With the stream traced inlet design methodology, specific desired inlet design conditions in the engine can be stipulated, and an inlet geometry generated to suit. The stream traced methodology can be applied, in its simplest form, from two dimensional planar inlets [8] to complicated three dimensional geometries [9]. This design methodology has been chosen for the lightcraft design due to the performance of the resulting inlets at off-design conditions [10].…”

UQ eSpace

“…This type of vehicle is capable of horizontal and low angle of attack flight but also allows low speed operation and conventional runway landings. This vehicle type is utilised for theoretical integration with Rectangular-to-Elliptical Shape Transition (REST) inlets by researchers at NASA and The University of Queensland [10]. A paper released by Ueno and Suzuki from The University of Tokyo in 2009 concludes that hypersonic lift-to-drag ratio is improved in airfoils with thin leading edges, as expected [11].…”