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Simple method for evaluating the efficiency of high-speed air intakes

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Thermophysics and Aeromechanics Aims and scope

Abstract

A new and intuitive method for evaluating the efficiency of the compression process in a supersonic air intake is proposed. The method is based on a comparison of the geometric compression ratio of the flow tube in the air intake under consideration with the maximum possible isentropic compression. It is shown that a higher value of the geometric compression ratio in the air intake allows obtaining higher thrust characteristics, with other conditions being identical.

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Abbreviations

M :

Mach number

H :

flight altitude

V :

flow velocity, m/s

P :

static pressure

P 2 /P in :

flow tube compression in terms of pressure

P 2 :

static pressure in cross section 2, Pa

P in :

static pressure in the incoming flow, Pa

P 0 :

stagnation (total) pressure

σ02 = P 02 / P 00 :

total pressure recovery coefficient

P 00 and P 02 :

stagnation pressures in cross sections 0 and 2, respectively

σnorm :

total pressure loss on the normal shock

T :

static temperature, K

T 0 :

stagnation temperature, K

T 00 / T 02 :

change in the stagnation temperature at the intake entrance

T 00 and T 02 :

stagnation temperatures in cross sections 0 and 2, respectively

G :

air flow rate, kg/s

G f :

fuel flow rate, kg/s

F :

cross-sectional area of the flow tube, m2

φ = F 1 / F 2 :

geometric flow rate coefficient

F*:

area of the critical cross section of the flow tube (M*= 1), m2

η ke = (V 2 / V 0)2 :

kinetic energy efficiency

CR = F 0/F 2 :

geometric compression ratio of the captured flow tube

CR is :

geometric compression ratio of the isentropic flow tube

q(M):

gas-dynamic function

γ = C p /C v :

ratio of specific heats

Q :

added energy, MJ/s

R :

engine thrust, N

I sp :

specific impulse, m/s

Hu :

calorific capacity, MJ/kg

L 0 :

stoichiometric ratio

α :

air-to-fuel ratio

Z :

relative compression ratio of the captured flow tube.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5:

number of cross sections

in:

incoming flow conditions

is:

isentropic

sp:

specific

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

    V. I. Zvegintsev

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  1. V. I. Zvegintsev
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Correspondence to V. I. Zvegintsev.

Additional information

This work was performed within the framework of the Program of Fundamental Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2013–2020 (Project No. AAAA-A17-117030610121-9).

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Zvegintsev, V.I. Simple method for evaluating the efficiency of high-speed air intakes. Thermophys. Aeromech. 28, 11–20 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869864321010029

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0869864321010029

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