Abstract: A flight vehicle scramjet combustor is provided having two spaced-apart, generally opposing, and generally longitudinally extending walls extending forward and aft. One of the walls includes a generally aft-facing step, a forward wall portion extending generally longitudinally forward of the step, and an aft wall portion extending generally longitudinally aft of the step. The step further includes a first section and an interconnected second section, where in the first section is attached to the forward wall portion and the second section is attached to the aft wall portion. The second section includes a main or primary fuel injector discharge orifice and a plurality of secondary fuel injector discharge orifices positioned adjacent thereto, the primary and secondary fuel injector discharge orifices each having a fuel discharge axis aligned generally perpendicular to the second section which projects both generally toward the other of the walls and longitudinally aft.

Abstract: An inlet bleed system for a supersonic aircraft engine having a longitudinally downstream extending inlet bounded by a boundary wall that in part defines a supersonic flowpath through the inlet, a transversely extending boundary layer scoop extends into a boundary layer region of the flowpath and has an upstream facing bleed aperture, and a shock generating means for generating a shockwave in a supersonic flow in the flowpath such that the shockwave passes through the bleed aperture. One embodiment provides a scoop which extends a height above the wall such that it is operable to scoop off no more than a sufficient amount of a boundary layer flow that would exist in the boundary region and be momentum deficient relative to predetermined conditions that would exist downstream of the scoop under supersonic operating conditions. Another embodiment provides for the scoop to be disposed a throat section of the inlet wherein the aperture located is just upstream of the normal shock location.

Abstract: A flight vehicle scramjet combustor. The combustor, in its "2-D" and annular embodiments, has two spaced-apart, generally opposing, and longitudinally extending walls. One wall includes a generally aft-facing step having a first section and an interconnected second section, a forward wall portion attached to the first section, and an aft wall portion attached to the second section. The second section includes a fuel injector discharge orifice having a fuel discharge axis which is aligned generally perpendicular to the second section and which projects both generally towards the other wall and longitudinally aft. The combustor has a cylindrical embodiment which includes a cylindrical wall having a step and fuel injector discharge orifice similar those of the "2-D" and annular combustor embodiments.

Abstract: An aircraft engine two-dimensional inlet system of the present invention provides a telescoping two-dimensional centerbody that is referred to as a wedge. The telescoping wedge may be of a fixed wedge angle design or a variable wedge angle design. The present invention contemplates single and multi-wedge angle designs of the fixed or variable intermediate wedge angle types having more than one ramp angle. The telescoping wedge has at least one upper and lower pair of longitudinally adjacent wedge forward and aft walls that overlap to form an aft facing step and are in controlled sliding engagement.

Abstract: To promote fuel and air mixing combustor of a scramjet engine, fuel is injected as a succession of pulses into the airstream flowing through the combustor. By controlling the duty cycle and flow rate of the fuel pulses, increased fuel penetration and mixing efficiency are obtained with an overall fuel flow schedule comparable to steady state fuel injection. With sequential pulsed operation of plural, variously located fuel injectors in phased relation, the combustor remains in a transient state to enhance mixing and to spread out the combustor heat load.

Abstract: A scramjet engine is disclosed which is effective for use in a hypersonic aircraft as an aircraft-integrated scramjet engine. The engine includes a first surface having an aft facing step, and a cowl upper surface spaced from the first surface to define an integrated inlet-combustor therebetween. A method of operating the engine includes injecting fuel into the inlet-combustor at the step for mixing fuel with supersonic airflow for generating supersonic combustion gases in the inlet-combustor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fuel is injected to create a fluid boundary defining a subsonic fuel zone and a supersonic fluid zone. The fluid boundary is variable and eliminates start and unstart problems requiring variable inlet geometry in a conventional scramjet engine.

Abstract: A scramjet engine is disclosed which is effective for use in a hypersonic aircraft as an aircraft-integrated scamjet engine. The engine includes a first surface having an aft facing step, and a cowl upper surface spaced from the first surface to define an integrated inlet-combustor therebetween. Means for injecting fuel into the inlet-combustor at the step are provided for mixing fuel with supersonic airflow for generating supersonic combustion gases in the inlet-combustor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fuel injecting means is effective for injecting fuel to create a fluid boundary defining a subsonic fuel zone and a supersonic fluid zone. The fluid boundary is variable and eliminates start and unstart problems requiring variable inlet geometry in a conventional scramjet engine.

Abstract: A hypersonic inlet and a hypersonic engine and flight vehicle having such an inlet. The three-dimensionally-swept inlet has an upper member with a caret-shaped lower surface portion producing a two-dimensional wedge flow below such lower surface portion. The inlet also has a lower member having two inverted and transposed semi-caret-shaped upper surface portions producing a two-dimensional wedge flow above such upper surface portions. An inlet aft portion connects together the upper and lower members and has an orifice defining the engine inlet throat which at least partially receives the two-dimensional flows.