Supersonic Inlets

Subsonic & Supersonic Inlets ?.... What do they do ?

Most of air-breathing engines (turbojet - They ensure uniform flow

turbofan - turboprop - ramjet) fly at Mach requirements and minimum
numbers >> 0.4 stagnation pressure loss

Efficient operation of these engines need

air delivered to them subsonically (M <0.4)
and uniformly

This necessitates that the flow be

decelerated or diffused through INLETS

What are They ? Their Purpose is ?

● They are diffusing sections ahead of the compressors.

Their purpose is:

● To provide a sufficient air supply to the compressor uniformly, with as
low a loss in stagnation pressure as possible, and with as small drag on
the aircraft as possible.
● To have minimum weight as possible.
● To avoid flow separation.
● To reduce the velocity (being a diffuser) of the entering air efficiently.
● Not to generate much noise (may contain noise-absorbing materials).

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Prototype 707 Gas Turbine (Ford Motor Co.)

Subsonic Inlet Supersonic Inlet

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Supersonic Inlets:
Are divided into:
(a) normal shock (Pitot) inlets

(b) oblique shock inlets

(c)converging-diverging inlets

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(a) Normal Shock (Pitot) Inlets

Design conditions Ao = Ai Ai

Normal
Shock

Detached
normal Shock

Increased back pressure Ao < Ai Ai

Ao = Ai M>1 Normal
Decreased back pressure
Shock

Note:
Due to the large stagnation pressure losses with increasing flight Mach
number, it is not used for M>1.8.

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(b) Oblique Shock Inlets ... External compression type

Desired conditions at the design Mach Throat

number (Critical Inlet Operation)

 Oblique shock impinges on the lip &
 Normal shock at inlet throat

Spillover

Increased back pressure (Subcritical)

 Spillover - large drag
 Instability leading to oscillations in
shock locations (inlet buzz)
 It is generally avoided ??

Decreased back pressure (Supercritical)

 No spillover – no instability, BUT
flow separation may occur inside inlet

Note:
If inlet geometry is fixed, operation requirements at off-design flight
Mach number must be considered ....OR allowance is to be provided to
the center body to move, rather than being fixed.

See next page

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 Center Body Translation for off-design Mach Numbers

With a movable center body, the oblique shock wave can be positioned to
impinge on the lip of the inlet for off-design conditions.

Fixed Center body moves backward

(a) M decreases

Fixed Center body moves forward

(b) M increases

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(c) Converging-diverging Inlets

Introduction

Nomenclature

No shock wave, all stream flow is

entering inlet

Detached shock, subsonic flow after

shock, with spill over the entrance lip of
the inlet

In steady state, it would operate shock-free & reduce M from M>1 to

M<1 as illustrated in figure (d) on next page.
BUT, the problem is HOW to achieve this condition, i.e. how to
accelerate the inlet to the design Mach number from rest. If this is done,
the flow will be as:

Normal Shock in front of inlet, with spillover

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 The question, now, is: How are the shock-free flow conditions
achieved ?, i.e; what is the inlet startup procedure ?.

There are 2 methods to do that

Overspeeding Using variable-area throat

Method 1: Overspeeding the Inlet

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Remark:
Overspeeding requires extra thrust....it is not practical. Moreover,
overspeeding is limited to design Mach numbers less than 2.

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Example:
A small jet aircraft is designed to cruise at a Mach number of 1.7. The
aircraft uses a convergent-divergent inlet with a fixed area ratio. Find the
throat-to-entrance area ratio required at the cruising (design) Mach
number. Also, find the overspeed Mach number of the aircraft in order
for the inlet to swallow the normal shock wave.
Solution:
The desired inlet conditions at the design Mach number is as follows:

The area ratio A/A* required for the design Mach number of 1.7:
enter read
Md = 1.7 Isentropic tables A/A* = 1.338

If the aircraft were accelerated from rest to the design Mach number, a
shock wave would stand in front of the inlet as shown previously in
figure (a).

By overspeeding the aircraft, the shock can be moved to the lip of the
inlet, and the situation becomes as follows:

To find the Mach number downstream of the shock wave;

enter read
A/A* = 1.338 Isentropic tables My = 0.5

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Hence,
enter read
for My = 0.5 N. S. W. tables Mx = 2.64 = Mos

Note:
Any further increase in the Mach number over 2.64 will lead to the shock
being swallowed. The aircraft can then be slowed down to the design
(cruising) Mach number of 1.7, and the desired shock-free operation will
be attained as sketched before in figure (d).

Method 2: Using Inlet of Variable-area Throat

inlet can be started

Note:
Using a variable-area throat adds mechanical complexity to the inlet
design.

Example:
A converging-diverging inlet operating in a shock-free mode is to be used
at a Mach number of 1.75. Find the throat-to-entrance area ratio required
at the design Mach number, and the overspeed Mach number at which the
inlet can be started. Also, find the throat-to-entrance area ratio necessary
for inlet startup by changing the throat area.

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Solution:
The desired inlet conditions at the design Mach number is as follows:

The area ratio A/A* required for the design Mach number of 1.75:
enter read
Md = 1.75 Isentropic tables A/A* = 1.3865

If the aircraft were accelerated from rest to the design Mach number, a
shock wave would stand in front of the inlet as shown previously in
figure (a).

By overspeeding the aircraft, the shock can be moved to the lip of the
inlet, and the situation becomes as follows:

To find the Mach number downstream of the shock wave;

enter read
*
A/A = 1.3865 Isentropic tables My = 0.477

Hence,
enter read
for My = 0.477 N. S. W. tables Mx = 2.97 = Mos

Note:
Any further increase in the Mach number over 2.97 will lead to the shock
being swallowed. The aircraft can then be slowed down to the design
(cruising) Mach number of 1.75, and the desired shock-free operation will
be attained as sketched before in figure (d).

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Variable-area Throat
If we increase the throat area of the inlet, more mass flow can pass
through the inlet, and the shock wave will be drawn closer to the lip of
the inlet. Then, increasing the throat area enough to move the shock to
the lip of the inlet, the condition will be as follows:

The Mach number downstream of the shock wave is:

enter read
for Md(=Mx ) = 1.75 N. S. W. tables My = 0.6281

Therefore, the area ratio required is:

enter read
M = 0.6281 Isentropic tables A/A* = 1.157

Any further increase in throat area will result in the shock being
swallowed. Then, the throat can be returned to the design value (A/A* =
1.3865). At the same time the back pressure is increased to place the
swallowed shock in the throat, giving the desired shock-free inlet
conditions.

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