Streamline Tracing: Technique for Designing Hypersonic Vehicles

Abstract

The methodology for creating a large family of designs of streamline traced planar and axisymmetric inlets for hypersonic airbreathing engines is presented. The subject is introduced by a discussion of streamline tracing of Busemann inlet e owe elds, which was the procedure that was used to design the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet Missile (SCRAM)engine. A brief synopsis of test results of SCRAM is presented to demonstrate the efe cacy of the streamline tracing technique.Thegeneralized model coversthecompleterangeofe owe eldsfrom outward-turning isentropic spikes to inward turning inlets. The radial deviation parameter is introduced as the variable to describe the members of the design family. A variety of inlet shapes and vehicle cone gurations are shown to demonstrate the design procedure. Arguments are made to support the viability of engine designs based of streamline traces of inward-turning e owe elds.