Propulsion

AE 711
Ramjets
Scramjets
and
Pulsejets

1
• The ramjet engine produces power by increasing
the momentum of the working fluid by induction of
energy by combustion of fuel, so that the
momentum of the exhaust jet exceeds that of the
incoming air, on a continuous basis.
• In contrast to the other air-breathing engines, the
working cycle is accomplished without additional
components of compression and expansion, and also
without any need for enclosed combustion.
•Ramjet engine is mechanically the least
complicated air-breathing jet engine for thrust
production --- for flying vehicles.

2
Ramjet Schematic

3
• Ramjets apply compression to the air by ram
compression effect at very high speeds (M>2.0).
• There is no compressor. All the compression is
done in the diffusing (ram) process.
• This restricts the use of ramjet to only high
supersonic speeds. No Take off, Landing possible.
• At very high supersonic Mach numbers (>5.0) the
shocks in the intake produce large losses that
inhibits the performance of the engine.

4
• After the velocities are brought down to subsonic
values, fuel is injected into the stream through
injectors.
• The location of the point of fuel injection depends
upon the desired degree of atomization,
vaporization and pre-mixing of fuel and air before
the combustion zone.
• A flame holder, essentially a turbulence generator
device, offers a sheltered zone behind it for flame
stabilization.
• Combustion is normally completed in a constant
area combustion chamber duct at a pressure
considerably higher than the ambient pressure.

5
• This high pressure gas is expanded through a nozzle,
converting a low subsonic flow in the combustion
chamber -- to a supersonic flow at the exit.
• The mixture of air and burned fuel is exhausted
through a convergent-divergent (C-D) nozzle.
• Exit pressure (Pe) is same as or nearly same as the
ambient pressure. Thus the chocking pressure (Pc) at
the throat is higher than the ambient pressure (Pa).
• However at low supersonic flights the exhaust may
be done at sonic speed through a convergent nozzle.
• At flight Mach 5 and above the unit becomes a
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (SCRAMJET) in which
the combustion is done in supersonic flow.

6
7
• An isolator is inserted before the combustor to
diffuse further through a shock train, producing a
subsonic flow in to the ramjet, and a low
supersonic flow in to the scramjet combustors,
respectively.
• Scramjet produces useful thrust characteristics
at higher flight Mach numbers
• They would be capable of stretching this
capability further with hydrogen as fuel.
• Hydrogen is a lighter fuel (in liquid form) and
requires more space for same mass of fuel.
• It is a cleaner fuel on combustion.
• Hydrogen has a higher heating value of fuel.

8
 Isp = Specific Impulse

Cruise Range

9
Ramjet Cycle Diagram

10
• The ideal ramjet operates on a Jule-Brayton cycle.
• The actual cycle, in contrast to the ideal cycle,
experiences strong irreversibilities in the form of
large pressure losses, practically at every step of
the flow processes. (Fig.).
• As shown in the diagram the diffusion process is
adiabatic but reversible (large total pressure
losses).
• The heat addition in the combustion chamber is
also accompanied by an inevitable (total) pressure
loss, since the combustion is carried out at
significant flow velocity.

11
• Through a multiplication of (total) pressure
losses the exhaust nozzle entry pressure reached
is substantially lower than an ideal engine.
• As a result the pressure ratio (i.e. total-to-static
change) available across the nozzle, is
significantly reduced compared to an ideal
engine. Additional losses occur inside the exit
nozzle.

12
Performance Parameters
Thrust : Ramjet engine thrust is defined as the net change
in total momentum as the net working fluid passes through
the engine.
The general expression for thrust, as shown in the cycle
diagram Fig., is :

mmmm
mmmm

g
a
s
a
i
r
F = & . .C4 – & .C1 + Ae.(Pe- Pa)
where Pe and Pa are the engine exit and ambient
static pressures respectively.

13
The general thrust equation can be revised to include fuel
addition. And regrouped by substituting mass flow term from
continuity condition, Thrust of the engine is :
 pe 
F = ρ .Va . A1 (m .Ve − Va ) + Ae . pa . − 1
 pa 
where, m = 1 + f , and f=fuel/air ratio, and A1= Area of
free stream tube entering the engine

Hence, specific thrust

F  Ve  Ae pa  pe 
CF = = Va .  m − 1 + . .  − 1
m&  Va  A1 ρ aVa  pa 

14
For a reasonable value of specific thrust to be
achieved, Ve>>Va i.e. substantial acceleration
across the engine, or pe>>pa i.e. a substantial
pressure (static) increment inside the engine are
required to be achieved.

Specific fuel consumption : The efficiency of an

engine is often defined by its specific fuel
consumption, which is defined under a specific
operating condition, as :
m& f f f
sfc = = =
F F / m& a CF
15
Efficiency : The thermal efficiency of an engine
represents the fraction of heat released in the
combustion process that is converted to work (in
this case thrust work), and is a useful parameter
for comparing various engine designs under
standard operating conditions.

T .Va
η=
f .m& a .Q& f
where , Q& f = heating value of fuel, kJ/kg

16
Limits of Ramjet operation

M.No.

17
Ramjet Performance Characteristics

18
Ramjet Performance variation with C.C. Temp and M.No.

Fc Max
temp

Max
temp.

19
Ram-Rocket engine schematic

20
Ramjet Wrapped around a Turbojet
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Mainly
Turbojet

Mainly
Ramjet

21
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22
23
24
SCRAMJET schematic

25
26
Ramjet Cycle Calculations

27
 Ideal Cycle calculations

P01 = P/02 = P/03 = P04

T01 = T/02 < T/03 = T04

P1 = P/4 = Pe
P/02/ P1 = P/03/ Pe

Ma = Ma Ve = Va .√ Te /Ta = Va .√ T/03 /T/02

H
Q
H

& +& =(((( & + & )

0
2
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0
3

Fuel
.
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.
T

3
. 2 p
0
2

flow = ( )−

mmmm w
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r
e
b
y
mmmm ,
=ffff
Q
/
c
p T
/3 cccc
T
c
T

mmmm cccc .2 p
0
mmmm T0 a
p
.3
0
/3
1111 p
.2
0
2

( )− ( )
28
 ]
1

( + ) −

29
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Ideal Cycle calculations
VVVV VVVV
f 2222 aaaa
aaaa
1 MMMM

Va = Ma.a =Ma.√γ.R.Ta

Ve = Va .√ T/03 /T/02
V
.aaaa 1111
[

γ−
.aaaa 1111 2222

&a
−&

mmmm

m
VVVV

f
+
From this expression thrust can be calculated
=

F
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V
. aaaa 1111
VVVV
( + )

=
3
−

1111
f 0
eeee
TTTT TTTT

&f
F
m
1 V
. ....aaaa
=( + )

.aaaa f VVVV

Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption :

=
= &

mmmm 1 2
1111
r TTTT TTTT
0
FFFF o aaaa ....
FFFF mmmm 3 1111
&

0
TTTT TTTT
....aaaa
VVVV
=

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 04 Real Cycle Calculations
Three stagnation pressure
ratios are shown as :
P02 P03 P04
πI = ; π CC= ; π N=
Pa P02 P03
or a P 04
= π I .π CC.π N
Pe

T 04 T04  γ gas − 1 2  γ gas .R.T04

= = 1 + .M e  ; and, Ve = M e .
T4 Te  2   γ gas − 1 2 
1 + M e 
 2 

H
Q
H

& + &

0
2
.f
f
a
0
3

.η cc =( & + & )
T
m c/
1

0
3
0

( )−

m w
h
.a r
e
e
b
y
,
m f
=
.
Q
/
.3 T
f pc
2T
c
T

c cp
m p .2
0
a
.2 p
. T .3
0
/3
p
.2
0
2

(η cc )− ( )
30
 Real Cycle Calculations

In Real cycle, Me ≠ Ma
or e
Pe ≠ Pa
Thrust and Specific Thrust
or a
may be written as:
F = m& a .(1 + f).Ve − m& a .V a+(Pe − Pa ).Ae
F 1
or = (1 + f).Ve − Va + (Pe − Pa ).Ae
m& a m&
m
&f f
TSFC: =
F F
m&a
31
 Pulsejets
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32
 Pulsejets - operation
1) A spark plug initiates the combustion
process inside the combustion chamber
when the inlet valves are closed
2) Combustion occurs in an enclosed
chamber and is approximately a constant
volume process
3) Combustion is nearly an explosion in that
enclosed volume and raises the pressure
and temperature to high values

33
 Pulsejets - operation
4) The high pressure and temperature
forces the gases to flow out of the tail pipe
and nozzle
5) Evacuation of the combustion chamber
results in pressure drop – that opens the
spring loaded inlet valve and air comes in
from the intake
6) The spring loaded inlet valves are
normally closed and open only when the
pressure difference across it is attained.

34
Pulsejets - cycle

35
 Pulsejets - cycle
The flow through the intake system is
captured in the isentropic equations
 γ 
 γ −1 
 γ air − 1 2    air
P01 = P0 a = Pa .1 + .M a 
 2 

 γ air − 1 2 
T01 = T0 a = Ta .1 + .M a 
 2 

36
Flow through the diffuser system (a-2)
including valve may use an efficiency ηI
 γ 
 γ −1 
 γ air − 1 2    air
P02 = Pa .1 + η I . .M a 
 2 
Combustion pressure change (2-3) is
directly related to it temp change (at
constant volume) – from equation of
state
P03= P02(T03/T02)

37
 Combustion chamber fuel flow is calculated
from (process 2-3):
m
& a .c p-air .T02 + m
& f .Q f .ηcc = (m
& a +m
& f ).cgas .T03
(c gas .T03 − c p-air .T02 )
whereby, f =
(ηcc .Qf ) − (cgas .T03 )
In the tail pipe gas expands (3-4) adiabatically
 γ   γ −1 
 γ −1     
  gas γ
T 04  P04 
=     Pa   gas 
; and, Ve = 2.c p − gas .T04 1 −  
T4  Pe  P 
  03  

38
 In a real cycle Pe ≠ Pa ; in an ideal cycle, Pe = Pa

Thrust, F = m
& a .(1 + f).Ve − m& a .V a+(Pe − Pa ).Ae
Specific F 1
= (1 + f).Ve − Va + (Pe − Pa ).Ae
Thrust m& a m&
Thrust Specific fuel consumption may be
written as
m&f f
TSFC:
=
F F
m&a

39