Design and Analysis of Intake Mechanism of Scramjet Engines for Space Launch Applications

Abstract

Space Exploration is gaining importance as we enter the mid-21st century due to various technological advancements and demands. However, the technologies currently in use for Launching objects to space are very inefficient and costly – mainly due to the nature of rocket engines that have to carry over 95% fuel of their total mass fraction. Hypersonic Air breathing propulsion technologies like scramjets are a candidate for reducing this fuel mass fraction due to their high specific impulse. However, the feasibility of using scramjets for space launch has not been properly evaluated for the last 60 years – mainly due to the added complexity of scramjets in contrast to the simplicity and reliability of conventional rockets. This study aims to cover this research gap and analyze the performance of Scramjets in Space Launch missions by using modern tools like Computational Fluid Dynamics and Trajectory Modeling. This study focuses on modeling the varying performance and of the scramjet engine with respect to the varying conditions of the atmosphere as the launch vehicle ascends to space, and realistically demonstrates the improvement that is possible to achieve by incorporating scramjets alongside conventional rockets.