Testing of hydrogen-fueled detonation ramjet in aerodynamic wind tunnel at Mach 1.5 and 2.0

Abstract

The conceptual design of the hydrogen-fueled detonation ramjet (DR) of a new type for a cruising flight speed of Mach 2 at sea level is developed using 3D numerical simulations of the operation process. The calculated effective thrust of such a DR is shown to become positive at M = 1.3, i.e., the startup Mach number for such a DR can be lower than M ˜ 2.0, which is typical for ramjets operating on continuous-deflagration combustion. A DR demonstrator is designed and manufactured. Its test fires are performed in a blowdown wind tunnel (WT) at free air jet Mach numbers M = 2.0, 1.5, and 0.9. The result of test fires is the experimental proof of the possibility of arranging stable continuous-detonation combustion of hydrogen in the DR of the developed design at both Mach numbers exceeding 1.0. The maximum measured values of the fuel-based specific impulse and total thrust were 1610 s and 650 N for the tests with M = 1.5 and 1630 s and 860 N for the tests with M = 2.0.