Aero-structural Analysis of a Scramjet Technology Demonstrator Designed to Operate at an Altitude of 23 km at Mach 5.8

Abstract

Aerodynamic and structural analysis was conducted for a generic supersonic combustion demonstrator designed to operate under flight conditions at an altitude of 23 km and a speed corresponding to Mach number 5.8. Optimization methodologies were applied to the compression section of the model to ensure the required temperature and Mach number conditions at the combustion chamber entrance for the spontaneous combustion of hydrogen fuel, as well as to the expansion section to meet the Brayton thermodynamic cycle. In the aerodynamic analysis, both analytical and numerical approaches were considered for cases without fuel injection and with fuel burning, treating air as a calorically perfect gas without viscous effects. In the structural analysis, only the case with fuel burning was evaluated due to its higher structural demands. Additionally, cases with different plate thicknesses (6 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, and 2.5 mm) were considered, and the components of the scramjet consisted of Stainless Steel 304 (beams and ribs), Aluminum 7075 (side panels and ramps), Inconel 718, or Tungsten (leading edges and combustion chamber entrance). The results of the aerodynamic numerical simulation demonstrated that the designed scramjet was capable of meeting both on-lip and on-corner shock conditions, ensuring maximum atmospheric air capture. In the structural numerical simulation, for sheets thicker than 2.5 mm, the maximum equivalent von Mises stress in the structure was lower than the yield stress of the materials used, indicating that the deformations were within the elastic regime and thus reversible.