The challenges and opportunities of supersonic transport propulsion technology

Abstract

cost (TOC) as similar technology subsonic transports and much worse than that relative to contem-The major challenges confronting the propul-porary technology aircraft. Very large airframe sion community for civil supersonic transport and propulsive efflciency improvements will be appllcations are Identlfled: high propulsion sys-requlred to alter this situation. In our quest for tem efficiency at both supersonic and subsonic greater productivity through increased speed, we cruise condltlons, low-cost fuel with adequate are also confronted with ever increasing dlfflculthermal stability at high temperatures, low noise ties arising from high ram temperature levels. The cycles and exhaust systems, low emission combustion challenge is to utllize advanced materlals to cope systems, and low drag installatlons. Both past with the high temperatures without incurring excesprogress and future opportunities are discussed in slve weight and cost penaltles. In addition, the relation to perceived technology shortfalls for an Inabllity of traditional low-cost fuels to provide economically successful airplane that satisfies adequate thermal stabillty impedes the pursuit of envlronmental constraints, higher speeds. Expensive JP-type fuels reach thermal stability limits at speeds near Mach 4, but low Unclassified Unclasslfied 18 A02 NASA FORM 1626 OCT86 *For sale by the NationalTechnicalInformationService,

Visualization of Dome Region Mixing in a Quartz Combustor

“…The trend of designing gas turbine engines to operate at increased pressure ratios creates the attendant and undesirable effect of increased emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO,,) (Strack and Morris, 1988). As the pressure ratios and engine inlet Mach numbers increase, so too do combustor inlet temperatures.…”