Streamlined Traced Inlets for High Speed Applications

This SBIR will use innovative techniques to develop the designs, and assess the starting characteristics and performance of a large class of inlets for use in Single-Stage-To-Orbit, SSTO and Two-stage-To-Orbit, TSTO transatmospheric accelerators, longrange-high speed aircraft and long-range missiles. The genera of the designs are Busemann inward turning flowfields. Streamline traces are carved from these flowfields to form the compression surfaces of a broad variety of practical inlet geometries.These surfaces are then truncated to provide an optimum balance between component weight and inlet compression efficiency. Many of the inlets have highly swept leading edges, which minimizes their drag and corresponding heat loads and enhances starting.A major part of the effort will be the development and demonstration of novel techniques to enable starting. These include; 1) arrays of interactive jets produced by a gas generator to aerodynamically deflect a portion of the inlet flow and severalinnovative techniques for venting flow. Documentation of the inlet performance and demonstration of the starting devices will be a major part of the SBIR effort.