STUDY OF AN ODW RAM ACCELERATOR DRIVEN HYPERSONIC TEST FACILITY

THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES A PROJECT TO DEVELOP, ANALYZE, AND DESIGN A NOVEL OBLIQUE DETONATION WAVE RAM ACCELERATOR DRIVEN HYPERSONIC TEST CAPABILITY IN THE HIGH VELOCITY, HIGH TEMPERATURE, AND HIGH PRESSURE REGIME. CURRENT WIND TUNNELS ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURECONDITIONS ABOVE MACH 8. SINCE CURRENT BALLISTIC TECHNOLOGYCANNOT MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED TO PROVIDE THE CAPABILITY OF ACCELERATING MASSES TO SIX KILOMETERS PER SECOND AND ABOVE. APRI PROPOSES TO DEVELOP THE NECESSARY ANALYTICAL DESIGN TOOLS OF A NEW PROPULSION CONCEPT, BASED OF THE USE OF A CONTROLLED AND STABILIZED OBLIQUE DETONATION WAVE (ODW) TO GREATLY ENHANCE LAUNCHER TECHNOLOGY AND CAPABILITY. SPECIFICALLY, TO INVESTIGATE THE APPLICATION OF THIS NEW PROPULSION CONCEPT FOR THE ACCELERATION OF TUBE-LAUNCHED PROJECTILES TO HYPERSONIC VELOCITIES. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT AN ODW RAM ACCELERATOR CAN BE DESIGNED WHICH,USING CONVENTIONAL GASEOUS PROPELLANTS, IS CAPABLE OF ACCELERATING PROJECTILES OF PRACTICAL SIZE TO SIX KILOMETERSPER SECOND AND ABOVE. THIS PROPOSAL REVIEWS THE BACKGROUND OF THE ODW PROPULSION CONCEPT, AND OUTLINES OUR WORK PLAN FOR ADVANCING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY BY DEVELOPING THE AEROTHERMODYNAMIC DESIGN TOOL OF THE OBLIQUE DETONATION WAVERAM ACCELERATOR TO DESIGN A NEW HYPERSONIC TEST CAPABILITY.