School of Aerospace Engineering

Supersonic (Engine) Inlets

For air-breathing engines on supersonic vehicles,
usually want to slow flow down to subsonic speeds
inside engine
need diffuser (M>1M<1) for engine inlet
exception: supersonic combustion (e.g., SCRAM jets)

Goal
lowest po loss (highest thrust)
given flight M
mass flow rate requirement (thrust)
stable operation (nothing drastic for small changes in
flight conditions)

AE3450

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -1

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

CD Inlet
Can get close to isentropic flow
lowest potential po loss
M>1
M<1
starting problem
(like supersonic wind tunnel,
have to swallow shock)
most cases requires variable area throat (heavy,
complex)
stability problem: if shock leaves throat, can exit
engine lowering mass flow (higher A2*)

Not typically used

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -2

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

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Shock Inlets
Normal shock diffuser
simple, diverging section
preceded by normal shock
highest po loss (strong
shock)

Spilled Air

Normal
Shock

M<1
M>1

Oblique Shock Diffuser

Spilled
Air

Oblique Shocks

oblique shock(s)
Normal Shock
followed by normal
shock at (or inside) inlet to
subsonic diffuser
lower po loss
works for range of M

BypassAir

Subsonic Diffuser

Bleed Air

AE3450

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -3

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

Example: Normal v. Oblique Diffusers

Given: You need to pick a
diffuser for Mach 2 flight
conditions. Your choices are a
normal shock diffuser and 2
different oblique shock diffusers
Find:
Stagnation pressure loss
for each (po,final/po,initial)
Assume: air is TPG/CPG with =1.4,
steady, adiabatic, no work, inviscid
except for shock,.
Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -4
Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

M=2
po,final

po,initial

po,final

M=2

20
po,initial

M=2
po,initial

po,final

10

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Solution: Normal v. Oblique Diffusers

Analysis:
Normal Shock Diffuser

M1=2
M2, po2

po1

Table B.1 or VII.11,13

M1 = 2 M 2 = 0.577, po2 po1 = 0.721

M2, po,2

Single Oblique Shock (+Normal)

VII.26 or C.1

M3, po3

M1=2

M1 = 2, = 10o = 39.3o
po1
M1n = M1 sin = 2 sin 39.3o = 1.267
B.1 or VII.11,13 M 2 n = 0.803; p o 2 p o1 = 0.985 po3 = p o3 po2 = 0.867
p o1 po2 po1
M 2 = M 2 n sin ( ) = 1.64
normal shock inlet - 28% po loss
B.1 or VII.11,13 M 3 = 0.657; p o3 p o2 = 0.880
oblique shock inlet - 13.3% p !!!
20

AE3450

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -5

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

Solution: Normal v. Oblique Diffusers

Analysis: (cont)
Two 5 Turns (+Normal Shock)
o

VII.26 or C.1

M2, po,2
M3, po3
M=2

M1 = 2, 1 = 5 1 = 34.3
po1
10
M1n = M1 sin 1 = 2 sin 34.3o = 1.127
B.1 or VII.11,13 M 2 n = 0.891; po 2 po1 = 0.998
M 2 = M 2 n sin (1 1 ) = 1.82
po4 p o4 po3 po2
=
VII.26orC.1 M 2 = 1.82, 2 = 5o 2 = 37.9o
po1 po3 p o2 p o1
o
M 2 n = M 2 sin 2 = 1.82 sin 38.0 = 1.120
= 0.873
= 0.897; po 2 po1 = 0.998
M 3 = M 3n sin (2 2 ) = 1.65
B.1or VII.11,13 M 3 = 0.654; po4 po3 = 0.8765
B.1 or VII.11,13 M 3n

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -6

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

double obl. shock inlet

~ 12.7% po loss

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Double Oblique Inlet - Advantages

So for M=2, same total turning angle (10)
two oblique shocks slightly better than one (12.7%
v. 13.3% po loss )
significant improvement over normal shock alone
(28% po loss)

Oblique shock diffuser with two 10 turns (total

of 20) even better
only 4.3% po loss (solution shown on next slide)
so larger overall deflection can give better po

Stagnation pressure advantages of using multiple

oblique shocks increase with higher M
AE3450

Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -7

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

Double Oblique Shock Diffuser

Two 10 Turns (+Normal Shock)

M2, po,2
M3, po3

from previous results for 10 turn

M1 = 2, = 10o 1 = 34.3o
M 2 = 1.64; po 2 po1 = 0.985
VII.26 or C.1M 2

M=2

10

po1
20

= 1.64, 2 = 10o 2 = 49.4o

M 2 n = M 2 sin 2 = 1.64 sin 49.4o = 1.245

B.1 or VII.11,13

M3n = 0.815; po 2 p o1 = 0.988

M3 = M3n sin (2 2 ) = 1.28

B.1 or VII.11,13 M 3
Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -8
Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

= 0.796; po4 po3 = 0.983

po4 p o4 po3 po2

=
po1 po3 p o2 p o1
= 0.957

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Double Oblique Inlet - Disadvantages

Flow separation

Oblique Shocks

Spilled
Air

BypassAir

Normal Shock

since p increases across

Subsonic Diffuser
oblique shocks, the flow
Boundary
Layer
sees adverse p gradient
so more or bigger oblique shocks
(or longer external ramp),
Bleed Air
the greater the chance the boundary layer will separate
major change in flowfield, large losses (po and mass
flowrate)

Internal Turn Angle

larger total external turn angle showed less po loss
larger external flow turning requires larger inlet
also requires larger internal flow turning to get flow back to
horizontal
Supersonic Inlets - Oblique Shocks -9
Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

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