High Mach Number and Total Pressure Flow Conditions for Scramjet Testing

Abstract

Scramjet-powered access to space is expected to entail flight between Mach 5 and 15, along a dynamic pressure ascent trajectory of up to 2,000 psf (96 kPa) [1]. Scramjet engines typically need to be tested at sub-scale, even in the largest expansion tube facilities, and in these cases pressure-length (p-L) scaling is applied to maintain similarity for many flight parameters, including Reynolds number and binary reaction rates [2].