Performance analysis on the specific impulse and specific thrust of scramjet with a quasi-one-dimensional model

Abstract

A quasi-one-dimensional model for performance analysis of scramjet has been developed for rapid design and optimization in the current paper. The heat release process along the supersonic combustor is based on the assumption of chemical equilibrium. Furthermore, the effects of flight Mach number ranging from 6 to 14, equivalence ratio ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, and three types of fuel (including boron-B, hydrocarbon-CH, and hydrogen-H2) on the performance of the scramjet have been studied. The energy specific impulse is proposed for the first time to evaluate the energy conversion ability of chemical energy to mechanical energy for different fuels. The results show that mass specific impulse not only depends on the heat value of the fuel but is also closely related to the energy conversion ability of the fuel. And the condensation heat and specific heat capacity of combustion products, and the mole ratio of the gaseous products to the gaseous reactants are the three main factors affecting the energy conversion ability for different fuels. Compared with the CH-fueled scramjet and H2-fueled scramjet, the B-fueled scramjet has the potential for miniaturization and can cruise at a higher Mach number, due to its larger volume specific impulse and specific thrust, respectively.