Section 4.

3: The RamJet Propulsion Cycle

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 Background on RamJets
• Ramjets are a very simple jet engine configuration that are capable of high
speeds

• Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed; they cannot move an aircraft from
a standstill.

• A ramjet powered vehicle, therefore, requires an assisted take-off like a rocket

assist to accelerate it to a speed where it begins to produce thrust.

• Inherently constrained to “combined cycle” applications for flight

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 Control Volume for a Ramjet
ρ1V1
p2
V2
p∞ Tp2e
T∞ Te
V∞ Ve

ρ∞ ρe
m! air
f =
! fuel
m

Fthrust =
( m!
air
+ m! fuel ) ⋅Vexit −( m! air ) ⋅V∞ + Aexit ⋅( pexit − p∞ )
=
p∞ ⋅ A0
⎡⎛ f +1⎞⎟ Vexit ⎤ A ⎛p ⎞⎟
exit ⎜ exit
Fthrust = m! air ⋅V∞ ⎢⎢⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ⋅ ⎥
−1⎥ + ⋅⎜⎜ −1⎟⎟
⎜ ⎟ A0 ⎜⎝ p∞ ⎟⎠
⎣⎝ f ⎠ V∞ ⎦

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 Ideal Ramjet
Thermodynamic
Cycle Analysis Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

Region Process Ideal Behavior Real

Behavior
A to 1(inlet) Isentropic flow P0,T0 constant P0 drop

∞-1-2 (diffuser) Adiabatic P,T increase P0 drop

Compression P0 drop
2-3 (burner) Heat Addition P0 constant, T0 P0 drop
s Increase

3-4 (nozzle) Isentropic T0,P0 constant s Increase

expansion
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II T0 drop 4
 Ideal Ramjet Cycle Analysis (2)

Step Process
1) Intake (suck) Isentropic Compression
2) Compress the Air (squeeze) Adiabatic Compression
3) Add heat (bang) Constant Pressure Combustion
4) Extract work (blow) Isentropic Expansion in Nozzle
5) Exhaust Heat extraction by surroundings

Step 3

Step 1-2 Step 4

T-s Diagram
Step 5

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 5

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet

thermal

• Propulsive Power Output--> work perform by system in step 4

minus work required for step 1-2

• Net Heat Input --> heat input during step 3 (combustion)

- heat lost in exhaust plume

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 6

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (2)

Power

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 7

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (3)

Add and Subtract From Right Hand Side

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 8

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (4)
• Assume … calorically perfect gasses à h ~ Cp•T

• For conceptual simplicity … let … f >> 1 … and … Cpair ~ Cpproducts

9
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (5)
• From C-->D flow is isentropic …
(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)

Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 10

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (6)
• Approximate as Adiabatic
(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)
compression across diffuser

Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 11

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (7)
• Sub
(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)

into efficiency Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

equation

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 12

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (8)

(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)

Factor Out
Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 13

 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (9)
(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)

Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

1. Cycle Efficiency Proportional to Inlet Pressure ratio, PB/PA

2. Cycle Efficiency Proportional to combustor temperature
difference TC-TB
3. As inlet total pressure ratio (P0B/P0A) goes down …
Cycle Efficiency Drops
4. Characteristic of a Brayton process, the cycle efficiency is
anchored by the inlet compression process.
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 14
 Cycle Efficiency of Ideal Ramjet (10)

(Credit Narayanan Komerath, Georgia Tech)

Step 1-2 Step 3 Step 4

1. High Inlet Compression Ratio Desirable

2. Low Stagnation Pressure Loss Desirable
3. Large Temperature Change across Combustor Desirable
4. Ramjets Cannot Start from Zero Velocity

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 15

 Ideal Ramjet Example: Inlet and Diffuser
• Take a Rocket motor and “lop the top off”
•
mfuel

•
M>1 mair normal
shockwave
M<1 •
m air+fuel

• Works Ok for subsonic, but for

supersonic flow … can’t cram
enough air down the tube

• Result is a normal shock wave

at the inlet lip

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 Ideal Ramjet Example: Inlet and Diffuser (2)
•
mfuel

•
M>1 mair normal
shockwave
M<1 •
m air+fuel

M¥ M2

• Mechanical Energy is
Dissipated into Heat

• Huge Loss in Momentum

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 Ideal Ramjet Example: Inlet and Diffuser (3)
• So … we put a spike in front of the inlet
•
mfuel
Oblique
shockwave

•
M>1 mair M<1 •
m air+fuel

Much weaker normal

shockwave

M∞
M2
• How does this spike Help?

• By forming an Oblique
Shock wave ahead of the inlet

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example

P0B
M1=4.0
B

b= 40° • Compare MB and P0 behind normal shockwaves

B
P0B

Assume g=1.4
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (3)

P0B
M1=4.0
B

• From Normal Shock wave solver

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (4)
= 40 deg.

• Across Oblique Shock wave

⎛ π
40⎞⎠
• M1n= M1 sin M2n=0.5064
1= 4 sin ⎝ =2.571
180
⎛
2 ⎛ 42 sin2 ⎛ π 40⎞ − 1⎞ ⎞

tan (θ ) =
{
2 M 12 sin 2 ( β ) − 1 } →
180
atan
⎜
⎜
⎜
⎝ ⎝ 180 ⎠ ⎠ ⎟
⎟
⎟
π ⎜ ⎛⎝ tan ⎛⎝ π 40⎞⎠ ⎞⎠ ⎛⎝ 2 + 42 ⎛⎝ 1.4 + cos ⎛⎝ π 2⋅ 40⎞⎠ ⎞⎠ ⎞⎠ ⎟
tan ( β ) ⎡⎣ 2 + M 12 ⎡⎣γ + cos ( 2 β ) ⎤⎦ ⎤⎦
⎝ 180 180 ⎠

= 26.2 deg
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (5)
= 40 deg.

• Across Oblique Shock wave

0.5064
M2n
M 2 n = 0.5064 → M 2 = = sin ⎛ π ( 40 − 26.2 ) ⎞ =2.123
sin(β1 -θ ) ⎝ 180 ⎠

P02/P0∞ = 0.4711

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D
= 40 deg.
Ramjet Inlet Example (6)

• Across Oblique Shock wave

⎛ 1.4 ⎞
⎜ 1.4 − 1 2 ⎞ ( 1.4 − 1) ⎟
0.3126 ⎜ ⎛⎝ 1 + 4 ⎠ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠ = 38.422
⎛ 1.4 ⎞
⎜⎛ 1.4 − 1 ( 1.4 − 1 ) ⎟
⎜ ⎝1 + 0.5578532 ⎞⎠ ⎟
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II ⎝ 2 ⎠
 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (7)

M1=4.0

• Compare
• Spike aids in increasing Total Pressure recovery
Reducing “ram drag”

M1=4.0

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (8)

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)
• Compute efficiency …. Oblique shock inlet

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)
• Compute efficiency …. Oblique shock inlet

M1=4.0

• Compute TC, TB

TC = 856.61 ºK
=

TB = 1325.1ºK − ( 1.4 − 1 ) ⎛ ⎛ ( 1.4 − 1 ) ⎞ ⎞

1.4 ⎜ ⎜ 1.4 ⎟ ⎟
38.422 ⎜ 1325.1 −⎜ 0.3126 ⎟ 856.61⎟
⎝ ⎝ ⎠ ⎠ = 0.4652
1−
( 1325.1 − 856.61 )
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 2-D Ramjet Inlet Example (cont’d)
• Compute efficiency …. Oblique shock inlet

M1=4.0 = 0.2328

= 0.4652

M1=4.0
200% increase in efficiency!
MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 Multi-stage Compression always Works
Best For Stagnation Pressure Recovery!

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II
 Questions??

MAE 6530 - Propulsion Systems II 34