Conceptual Design of Geometry-Variable Hypersonic Intake for TBCC

Abstract

[Abstract] The geometry-variable hypersonic intake plays an important role in the next generation air-breathing propulsion system operating across a wide Mach spectrum. Among them, the turbine based combined cycle (TBCC) engine which operates in Mach regime ranging from zero to five, typically require a geometry-variable hypersonic intake capable of sucking high quality air with adaptive mass flow rate under different flight conditions. A trivariable adjustable rectangle hypersonic intake concept was derived in this paper from integrated multi-level performance analysis of TBCC propulsion system. The design process of the intake firstly worked out its configuration in design-point based on integration of intake with turbofan/ramjet hybrid engine by means of one-dimensional shock wave theory. Whereafter, the intake’s geometry-viable scheme and its control laws in off-design points were acquired using a multi-object optimization algorithm based on intake and TBCC engine iterative interaction. Result of simulation demonstrated that the geometry-variable intake matched well with the turbofan/ramjet hybrid engine in the given Mach regime.