China reveals hypersonic scramjet developments and plans

[onebyone]

China reveals hypersonic scramjet developments and plans
brian wang | April 14, 2017 |

China has revealed the first known images of an indigenous scramjet test that it says was successfully conducted at speeds up to Mach 7 and altitudes up to 30 km, in December 2015.

Credit: National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Studies of a folding-wing hypersonic boost-glide vehicle designed for deployment from a launcher at Mach 5 and 30-km altitude show dramatic changes in the center of pressure on release. Credit: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

Tests of a magneto-hydrodynamic heat shield system showed performance could be boosted by seeding the flow with potassium particles. Credit: College of Aerospace Science and Engineering

Ground tests of a hydrogen-fueled continuous-rotating detonation ramjet at Mach 4.5 and simulated 18.5-km altitude indicated positive thrust was obtained. Credit: National University of Defense Technology

China will test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic engine later this year that they hope will pave the way for the first demonstration flight of a full-scale propulsion system by 2025. If successful, the engine could be the first of its type in the world to power a hypersonic vehicle or the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane. Combined-cycle systems have long been studied as a potential means to access to space and long-range hypersonic vehicles.

Chinese Academy of Sciences professor Lihong Chen said: “We also developed a low cost near-space science and technology flight test platform. The first flight test was successfully carried out, and key issues of the scramjet were demonstrated at Mach 3.5-7 and at altitudes of 15-30 km [9-18 mi.].” Offering no further details, Chen says the flight test was targeted at fundamental research under a program that she likened to the Australian-U.S. Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) effort.

Zhang Yong, a CASTC engineer, claimed that China will master the spaceplane’s technologies in the next three to five years, and a full-scale spaceplane would then enter service by 2030.

Lihong Chen had written a Feb 2016, paper in Acta Mechanica Sinica – Engine performance analysis and optimization of a dual-mode scramjet with varied inlet conditions.

A dual-mode scramjet can operate in a wide range of flight conditions. Higher thrust can be generated by adopting suitable combustion modes. Based on the net thrust, an analysis and preliminary optimal design of a kerosene-fueled parameterized dual-mode scramjet at a crucial flight Mach number of 6 were investigated by using a modified quasi-one-dimensional method and simulated annealing strategy. Engine structure and heat release distributions, affecting the engine thrust, were chosen as analytical parameters for varied inlet conditions (isolator entrance Mach number: 1.5–3.5). Results show that different optimal heat release distributions and structural conditions can be obtained at five different inlet conditions. The highest net thrust of the parameterized dual-mode engine can be achieved by a subsonic combustion mode at an isolator entrance Mach number of 2.5. Additionally, the effects of heat release and scramjet structure on net thrust have been discussed. The present results and the developed analytical method can provide guidance for the design and optimization of high-performance dual-mode scramjets.
http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/04/china-reveals-hypersonic-scramjet-developments-and-plans.html

 

[cirr]

China to Test Next-Generation Hypersonic Engine

Sunday, April 16, 2017

By: SPUTNIK News



Chinese engineers from the Beijing Research Institute of Machinery are set to test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic aircraft engine and first-stage carrier rockets later this year, Aviation Week reported.

That will pave the way for the first demonstration flight of a full-scale propulsion system by 2025.

As experts have noted, the main problem in the creation of such engines is the fact that each of them can operate in a narrow range of speeds but in order to design a power house that would accelerate the aircraft from zero to hypersonic speed (more than Mach 5 or over 6, 2,000 kilometers per hour), that is not yet possible.

The hypersonic engine, which the Chinese engineers are currently working on, is expected to be able to accelerate the aircraft from zero to speeds of more than Mach 10.

The development has been called TRRE[Turbo-aided Rocket-augmented Ram/Scramjet Engine].

The uniqueness of such a design is that a single casing combines turbojet, rocket and ramjet air-jet engines together.

Furthermore, the nozzle of this combined power machine has a variable diameter – depending on the speed of flight and which of the three engines is running.

At the first stage of this flight, the engine will operate its low-speed turbojet component. At the next stage, after reaching Mach 2, a rocket and ramjet engine will be turned on.

After Mach 6, the rocket engine switches off and the ramjet reactive air passes into hypersonic mode with an additional supply of liquid oxygen to the combustion chamber.

If successful, the engine could be the first of its type in the world to power a hypersonic vehicle or the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane.

http://defencenews.in/article/China-to-Test-Next-Generation-Hypersonic-Engine-251588

 

[Dungeness]

China to Test Next-Generation Hypersonic Engine

Sunday, April 16, 2017

By: SPUTNIK News



Chinese engineers from the Beijing Research Institute of Machinery are set to test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic aircraft engine and first-stage carrier rockets later this year, Aviation Week reported.

That will pave the way for the first demonstration flight of a full-scale propulsion system by 2025.

As experts have noted, the main problem in the creation of such engines is the fact that each of them can operate in a narrow range of speeds but in order to design a power house that would accelerate the aircraft from zero to hypersonic speed (more than Mach 5 or over 6, 2,000 kilometers per hour), that is not yet possible.

The hypersonic engine, which the Chinese engineers are currently working on, is expected to be able to accelerate the aircraft from zero to speeds of more than Mach 10.

The development has been called TRRE[Turbo-aided Rocket-augmented Ram/Scramjet Engine].

The uniqueness of such a design is that a single casing combines turbojet, rocket and ramjet air-jet engines together.

Furthermore, the nozzle of this combined power machine has a variable diameter – depending on the speed of flight and which of the three engines is running.

At the first stage of this flight, the engine will operate its low-speed turbojet component. At the next stage, after reaching Mach 2, a rocket and ramjet engine will be turned on.

After Mach 6, the rocket engine switches off and the ramjet reactive air passes into hypersonic mode with an additional supply of liquid oxygen to the combustion chamber.

If successful, the engine could be the first of its type in the world to power a hypersonic vehicle or the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane.

http://defencenews.in/article/China-to-Test-Next-Generation-Hypersonic-Engine-251588

The article itself is straight forward, but the comments by Indian readers were interesting. I am just wondering if this type of mentality is prevailing among their military R&D organizations. If it is, it may explain why their strategic missiles look like DIY projects even compared to NK's.

 

[cirr]

A look at China's most exciting hypersonic aerospace programs

The latest scramjets, near-space planes, and super wind tunnels.

By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer 8 hours ago

Armystar.com

The Future of the PLAAF, 2030?

This "what if" piece of CGI fan art from the Chinese Internet shows what a hypersonic military aircraft would look like; with a streamlined fuselage, a large ventral air intake and relatively small wings. Flying in near space (12 miles to 60 miles in altitude) at speeds of up to Mach 10, such aircraft could cover the distance between New York and San Francisco in under 30 minutes—plus dodge existing air defenses.

Hypersonic technology has the potential to revolutionize both military and civilian aerospace, so it's no surprise that China is showing off its program.

At the 21st International Space Plane and Hypersonic Systems and Technology in Xiamen—a global forum of scientists and engineers researching hypersonic concepts and technologies—Chinese scientists provided key details on several little-known but game-changing scramjets, near-space planes, and super wind tunnels.

National Natural Science Foundation of China

China's Scramjet

This December 2015 scramjet test flight is the first public-source picture of China's scramjet program, which set a high speed of Mach 7.

First, let's talk about scramjets. These have air-breathing engines (like turbofans and piston engines), so they don't need to carry a supply of oxidizer to combust their fuel. This makes them lighter and more efficient than rocket propelled missiles, as well as being more maneuverable. The first open source image of a Chinese scramjet test emerged in December 2015. It flew to an altitude of 30 kilometers (over 18 miles), and reached a Mach 7 speed. Interestingly, while American scramjet tests have generally been air dropped before firing their rocket boosters, the Chinese scramjet test was boosted from a land-based launcher. Scramjets could enable more efficient and easier forms of space launch and hypersonic airliners, just as they could be used for high-speed cruise missiles to replace ballistic missiles.

Beijing Power Machinery Research Institute

TRRE

The turbo-aided rocket-augmented ram/scramjet engine (TRRE), which uses rocket augmentation in order to aid in the transition into the supersonic and hypersonic flight regimes, could be the world's first combined cycle engine to fly in 2025, paving the way for hypersonic near space planes and single-stage space launchers.

A hypersonic plane can fly in the "near-space" altitude of 12 miles to 60 miles, allowing it to shoot into orbit with integrated rockets, or fly civilian and military missions in near space. Such a hypersonic plane could circumnavigate the world in a couple hours, out of the reach of conventional air defenses. China has several programs researching hypersonic combined cycle engines, which consist of a turbofan stage for subsonic/low supersonic flight, and a ramjet stage for the transition from supersonic to hypersonic flight.

The most promising program is Beijing Power Machinery Research Institute's turbo-aided rocket-augmented ram/scramjet combined cycle (a mouthful often abbreviated to TRRE), which uses integrated liquid-fueled rockets to boost the performance of the turbine and ramjet stages, thus making a safer and smoother transition from supersonic to hypersonic flight of Mach 10. With key components like the engine inlet, cooling, and combustion already developed, ground tests of the system are beginning later this year. The reported plan is for a full-scale TRRE testbed to begin flights by 2025, with a 2030 test flight.

China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics

FD-21

The FD-21, a 556-foot-long wind tunnel, was finished in 2016 by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, who will turn it on later this year. Reaching speeds of Mach 10-15, it's also large enough to test full-sized components of hypersonic propulsion, like gliders and scramjets.

And then there are the hypersonic wind tunnels. China has the world's largest hypersonic wind tunnel, the detonation drive JF-12, and is working to build an even larger one. The 556-foot-long FD-21 hypersonic shock tunnel can reach speeds of Mach 10-15, well above the JF-12's Mach 5-9 range. Clearly, China is not content to restrict its flight research to the lower end of the hypersonic speed range.

Grassroots (artist)

The Future?

Chinese scramjets, as part of combined cycle engines, could allow China to fly Mach 6 airplanes, as portrayed in this speculative CGI, anywhere in the world in under three hours, at speeds and altitudes impervious to modern air defenses. It is highly likely that due to the nature of material sciences and laws of physics, hypersonic aircraft like the American SR-72 and its Chinese counterparts would look similar to each other (like how most modern attack submarines share the same general hull shape).

At the Xiamen event, Chinese engineers also reported on a wide range of other hypersonic technologies, such as plasma jets to steer hypersonic thrust, advanced heat resistant composites, and new fuels. The event was yet another indication that, with well established programs in spaceplanes and scramjets, China is set for a hypersonic flight boom.

http://www.popsci.com/chinas-hypersonic-technology

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

中南大学研发出耐3000℃烧蚀的新材料

2017-08-21 20:27:31

新华社长沙8月21日电（记者谢樱）记者21日从中南大学获悉，中南大学粉末冶金国家实验室黄伯云院士团队通过大量实验，开发了一种新型的耐3000℃烧蚀的陶瓷涂层及其复合材料，这一发现有可能为高超声速飞行器的研制铺平道路。

中南大学粉末冶金研究院熊翔教授说，高超声速飞行意味着其飞行速度等于或大于5倍声速，即至少每小时6120公里。在如此高的速度下，2小时内便可完成从北京到纽约的飞行旅程，但前提是飞行器的关键结构部件能够承受住剧烈的空气摩擦和高达2000-3000℃的热气流冲击而不被破坏。中南大学新发现的超高温陶瓷涂层及其复合材料可为上述部件提供较好的保护。

这种陶瓷是一种多元含硼单相碳化物，具有稳定的碳化物晶体结构，由Zr、Ti、C和B四种元素组成。研发团队采用熔渗工艺将多元陶瓷相引入到多孔炭/炭复合材料中，进而获得一种非常有潜力的新型Zr-Ti-C-B陶瓷涂层改性的炭/炭复合材料。

“由于这种超高温陶瓷兼具了碳化物的高温适应性和硼化物的抗氧化特性，使上述涂层和复合材料表现出优越的抗烧蚀性能和抗热震性能，是高超声速飞行器关键部件极具前途的候选材料。”熊翔说。

团队研发的研究成果于6月15日在《自然·通讯》（Nature Communications）上发表，中南大学粉末冶金国家重点实验室为本论文第一完成单位，熊翔教授为第一通讯作者，曾毅博士为第一作者。合作单位英国曼彻斯特大学对该材料进行了表征和分析研究。

文章一经刊出即受到了国外学界、媒体的广泛关注。刊出后的前3天，下载量就突破5000次，而同日刊出其余文章下载量为300-900次。英国《每日邮报》、《经济学人》，美国《雅虎》、《大众机械》，俄罗斯《卫星通讯社》等世界数十家主流媒体和权威学术机构对此研究成果给予了广泛关注和报道。《自然·通讯》期刊评阅人认为:“上述研究成果将会点燃学术界对四元体系材料在高超声速领域应用的研究热情和兴趣，因为这代表着一种极有应用前景的材料体系。”

从2002年起，在国家863、973和国家自然科学基金的支持下，在长江学者熊翔教授带领下，团队从炭/炭复合材料的中高温（＜1600℃）抗氧化涂层入手，试图寻找一种具有优异的抗氧化性能和耐烧蚀性能的新型超高温陶瓷涂层材料。在研究过程中，所筛选的材料体系从最初的碳化硅到后来的碳化钽、碳化钛、碳化锆、硼化锆、碳化铪等数十种体系以及数百种成分含量的高温材料，几乎涉及了所有现存的超高温陶瓷和高温复合材料。直至现在，实现了3000℃超高温环境下新型耐烧蚀陶瓷涂层开发的突破，历时15年。

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-08/21/c_1121519048.htm

Short excerpt:

Xinhua News Agency, Changsha, August 21 (Reporter Xie Ying) learned from the Central South University, Powder Metallurgy National Laboratory, that academician Huang Boyun team through a large number of experiments, developed a new 3000 ℃ ablation resistant ceramic coating.

This kind of ceramic is a kind of multi-boron single-phase carbide, has a stable carbide crystal structure, composed of Zr, Ti, C and B four elements. The R & D team introduced the multicomponent ceramic phase into the porous carbon / carbon composites by infiltration process to obtain a promising new Zr-Ti-C-B ceramic modified carbon / carbon composite.

"Because this ultra-high temperature ceramic combines the high temperature adaptability of carbides and the anti-oxidation properties of borides, the coatings and composites show excellent ablation resistance and thermal shock resistance, and are the promising candidate materials of key hypersonic aircraft parts" Xiong Xiang said.

 

[Nabil365]

If Chinese are developing this,wonder what Americans have already developed.

 

[oprih]

Nice, keep it going China.

 

[Jlaw]

If Chinese are developing this,wonder what Americans have already developed.

To an Indian, Americans are gods.

 

[cirr]

中南大学研发出耐3000℃烧蚀的新材料

2017-08-21 20:27:31

新华社长沙8月21日电（记者谢樱）记者21日从中南大学获悉，中南大学粉末冶金国家实验室黄伯云院士团队通过大量实验，开发了一种新型的耐3000℃烧蚀的陶瓷涂层及其复合材料，这一发现有可能为高超声速飞行器的研制铺平道路。

中南大学粉末冶金研究院熊翔教授说，高超声速飞行意味着其飞行速度等于或大于5倍声速，即至少每小时6120公里。在如此高的速度下，2小时内便可完成从北京到纽约的飞行旅程，但前提是飞行器的关键结构部件能够承受住剧烈的空气摩擦和高达2000-3000℃的热气流冲击而不被破坏。中南大学新发现的超高温陶瓷涂层及其复合材料可为上述部件提供较好的保护。

这种陶瓷是一种多元含硼单相碳化物，具有稳定的碳化物晶体结构，由Zr、Ti、C和B四种元素组成。研发团队采用熔渗工艺将多元陶瓷相引入到多孔炭/炭复合材料中，进而获得一种非常有潜力的新型Zr-Ti-C-B陶瓷涂层改性的炭/炭复合材料。

“由于这种超高温陶瓷兼具了碳化物的高温适应性和硼化物的抗氧化特性，使上述涂层和复合材料表现出优越的抗烧蚀性能和抗热震性能，是高超声速飞行器关键部件极具前途的候选材料。”熊翔说。

团队研发的研究成果于6月15日在《自然·通讯》（Nature Communications）上发表，中南大学粉末冶金国家重点实验室为本论文第一完成单位，熊翔教授为第一通讯作者，曾毅博士为第一作者。合作单位英国曼彻斯特大学对该材料进行了表征和分析研究。

文章一经刊出即受到了国外学界、媒体的广泛关注。刊出后的前3天，下载量就突破5000次，而同日刊出其余文章下载量为300-900次。英国《每日邮报》、《经济学人》，美国《雅虎》、《大众机械》，俄罗斯《卫星通讯社》等世界数十家主流媒体和权威学术机构对此研究成果给予了广泛关注和报道。《自然·通讯》期刊评阅人认为:“上述研究成果将会点燃学术界对四元体系材料在高超声速领域应用的研究热情和兴趣，因为这代表着一种极有应用前景的材料体系。”

从2002年起，在国家863、973和国家自然科学基金的支持下，在长江学者熊翔教授带领下，团队从炭/炭复合材料的中高温（＜1600℃）抗氧化涂层入手，试图寻找一种具有优异的抗氧化性能和耐烧蚀性能的新型超高温陶瓷涂层材料。在研究过程中，所筛选的材料体系从最初的碳化硅到后来的碳化钽、碳化钛、碳化锆、硼化锆、碳化铪等数十种体系以及数百种成分含量的高温材料，几乎涉及了所有现存的超高温陶瓷和高温复合材料。直至现在，实现了3000℃超高温环境下新型耐烧蚀陶瓷涂层开发的突破，历时15年。

http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-08/21/c_1121519048.htm

Short excerpt:

Xinhua News Agency, Changsha, August 21 (Reporter Xie Ying) learned from the Central South University, Powder Metallurgy National Laboratory, that academician Huang Boyun team through a large number of experiments, developed a new 3000 ℃ ablation resistant ceramic coating.

This kind of ceramic is a kind of multi-boron single-phase carbide, has a stable carbide crystal structure, composed of Zr, Ti, C and B four elements. The R & D team introduced the multicomponent ceramic phase into the porous carbon / carbon composites by infiltration process to obtain a promising new Zr-Ti-C-B ceramic modified carbon / carbon composite.

"Because this ultra-high temperature ceramic combines the high temperature adaptability of carbides and the anti-oxidation properties of borides, the coatings and composites show excellent ablation resistance and thermal shock resistance, and are the promising candidate materials of key hypersonic aircraft parts" Xiong Xiang said.

Nature Communications – Ablation-resistant carbide Zr0.8Ti0.2C0.74B0.26 for oxidizing environments up to 3,000 °C

Abstract

Ultra-high temperature ceramics are desirable for applications in the hypersonic vehicle, rockets, re-entry spacecraft and defence sectors, but few materials can currently satisfy the associated high temperature ablation requirements. Here we design and fabricate a carbide (Zr0.8Ti0.2C0.74B0.26) coating by reactive melt infiltration and pack cementation onto a C/C composite. It displays superior ablation resistance at temperatures from 2,000–3,000 °C, compared to existing ultra-high temperature ceramics (for example, a rate of material loss over 12 times better than conventional zirconium carbide at 2,500 °C). The carbide is a substitutional solid solution of Zr–Ti containing carbon vacancies that are randomly occupied by boron atoms. The sealing ability of the ceramic’s oxides, slow oxygen diffusion and a dense and gradient distribution of ceramic result in much slower loss of protective oxide layers formed during ablation than other ceramic systems, leading to the superior ablation resistance.

One of the biggest challenges to hypersonic planes is how to protect critical components such as leading edges, combustors and nose tips so that they survive the severe oxidation and extreme scouring of heat fluxes at temperatures in excess of 2,000 °C during flight. The diborides of Hf and Zr are considered to be the most promising candidates for such components, offering the best oxidation resistance up to 1,500 °C among candidate ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs). In particular, ZrB2 has attracted much attention due to its low density and cost. However, there are two critical factors hindering its application: first, a high level of boron (about 66 at. %) leads to severe loss of material under the scouring of hot gas because of the rapid evaporation of boron oxides at temperatures above 1,200 °C (refs 9, 10), second, monolithic ZrB2 tends to fail catastrophically due to a combination of low toughness and poor thermal shock resistance11.

 

[Nabil365]

To an Indian, Americans are gods.

Sorry I'm not Indian.
I don't blame you though since you probably can't see the difference between j31 and
F-35 also.