Performance Evaluation of Hypersonic Turbojet Experimental Aircraft Using Integrated Numerical Simulation with Pre-cooled Turbojet Engine

  • Published : 2008.03.30

Abstract

The effect of Pre-cooled Turbojet Engine installation and nozzle exhaust jet on Hypersonic Turbojet EXperimental aircraft(HYTEX aircraft) were investigated by three-dimensional numerical analyses to obtain aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft during its in-flight condition. First, simulations of wind tunnel experiment using small scale model of the aircraft with and without the rectangular duct reproducing engine was performed at M=5.1 condition in order to validate the calculation code. Here, good agreements with experimental data were obtained regarding centerline wall pressures on the aircraft and aerodynamic coefficients of forces and moments acting on the aircraft. Next, full scale integrated analysis of the aircraft and the engine were conducted for flight Mach numbers of M=5.0, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, and 2.0. Increasing the angle of attack $\alpha$ of the aircraft in M=5.0 flight increased the mass flow rate of the air captured at the intake due to pre-compression effect of the nose shockwave, also increasing the thrust obtained at the engine plug nozzle. Sufficient thrust for acceleration were obtained at $\alpha=3$ and 5 degrees. Increase of flight Mach number at $\alpha=0$ degrees resulted in decrease of mass flow rate captured at the engine intake, and thus decrease in thrust at the nozzle. The thrust was sufficient for acceleration at M=3.5 and lower cases. Lift force on the aircraft was increased by the integration of engine on the aircraft for all varying angles of attack or flight Mach numbers. However, the slope of lift increase when increasing flight Mach number showed decrease as flight Mach number reach to M=5.0, due to the separation shockwave at the upper surface of the aircraft. Pitch moment of the aircraft was not affected by the installation of the engines for all angles of attack at M=5.0 condition. In low Mach number cases at $\alpha=0$ degrees, installation of the engines increased the pitch moment compared to no engine configuration. Installation of the engines increased the frictional drag on the aircraft, and its percentage to the total drag ranged between 30-50% for varying angle of attack in M=5.0 flight.

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