Hypervelocity Testing of a Dual-mode Scramjet

摘要

At Mach numbers higher than about 6, the high speed flovvpath of a hypersonic combined cycle vehicle operates in the supersonic mode. There are many aspects of this flowpath that makes it difficult to characterize analytically and numerically. Intense shockwave/boundary layer interaction, diffusion-limited mixing, and flame holding in short residence time flows are some of the most difficult phenomena to model. In order to examine such aspects, the NASA Hy Pulse shock tunnel at ATK GASL is being used to perform supersonic combustion experiments at conditions up to a hypervelocity vehicle Mach number of 10. The experimental team is adapting an existing wind tunnel model that was developed under funding of the OSD/TRMC SDPTE (Hy-V) Program. This model will first be tested at Mach 5, to reproduce the test conditions at UVa, and then extended to higher Mach numbers such as 7 and 10. The data is being generated under the auspices of the National Center for Hypersonic Combined Cycle Propulsion (NCHCCP) and it will be valuable for validating advanced numerical models and understanding fundamental flow physics in the hypervelocity flight regime. The scramjet flowpath is of a freejet test configuration and consists of an inlet, isolator and combustor. The flowpath retains many of the characteristics of the direct-connect dual-mode scramjet that has historically been tested at the University of Virginia.