AEROTHERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF COMBINED CYCLE PROPULSION SYSTEMS

FUTURE ADVANCED AEROSPACE VEHICLES ARE EXPECTED TO BE FULLY REUSABLE, AUTONOMOUS, CAPABLE OF OPERATION IN SUBSONIC TO HYPERSONIC MACH RANGE OF 0 TO 8 AND ABOVE. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO OPERATE IN FLEXIBLE MISSION PROFILES, BUT ALSO BE COST EFFECTIVE. COMBINED CYCLE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY IS THE PRIME CANDIDATE AS THE PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR ACHIEVING THESE GOALS. AEROTHERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS COMBINED CYCLE PROPULSION CONCEPTS IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THE IDENTIFICATION, COMPARISON, AND SELECTION OF THESE NOVEL PROPULSION CONCEPTS FOR FURTHER R&D EFFORT. NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE AEROTHERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF NINE DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS OF COMBINED CYCLES WITH BASIC SUBSYSTEMS OF TUBOJET, TURBO FAN, RAMJET, ROCKET, AND AIR AUGMENTED ROCKET IS PROPOSED. THE RESULTS WILL INCLUDE THE AEROTHERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANE CURVES, IDENTIFICATION OF THE OPTIMUM OPERATIONAL MODE FOR EACH CONFIGURATION, AND THE EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED CONFIGURATIONS IN TERMS OF THEIR AEROTHERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE. THE DEVELOPED COMPUTER PROGRAM WILL BE UTILIZED IN FURTHER COMPREHENSIVE SIMULATION OF THE SELECTED COMBINED CYCLE PROPULSION CONCEPT(S) IN PHASE II OF THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION.