KR20180064121A - Scramjet plasma engine and flight vehicle including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scramjet plasma engine and a flight vehicle having the same. According to one embodiment, the scramjet plasma engine may comprise: an engine body; and a fuel injector including a fuel reservoir for storing fuel and a nozzle for injecting the fuel toward a fuel injection space. The engine body includes: an air inlet for compressing air sucked in by a gradual decrease in a cross-sectional area of an air passage along the inflow direction of the air; the fuel injection space located in the downstream direction of the air inlet and injecting the fuel; a combustion space located downstream of the fuel injection space and combusted due to mixing with the air at a high temperature at which the fuel is compressed; and an exhaust nozzle located the downstream of the combustion space and exhausting burned combustion gas.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a scramjet plasma engine,

The following description relates to a scramjet plasma engine and a flying object including the same.

A supersonic combustion ramjet or acronym, scramjet, is a variant of ramjet. Scramjet is a power engine for aircraft, and is classified as a form of jet engine. Scramjet consists of air inlet, combustion chamber and nozzle. These configurations are distinguished by the aerodynamic phenomena occurring in each part of the scramjet engine. In fact, a scramjet engine is a simple shape like a long tube, only its cross-sectional area varies along its length.

Scramjet does not use rotating components such as compressors to compress the air and uses shock waves. Scramjet does not store the oxidizer separately, but sucks in the atmosphere and uses oxygen present in it as oxidizer.

Unlike ramjets which form oblique shock waves and vertical shock waves in the air inlet, the scramjet engine only forms oblique shock waves in the air intake port, and as a result, it decelerates as it passes through the intake port, but enters the combustion chamber while being maintained at supersonic speed .

Pressure loss is accompanied when air forms a shock wave at the intake port. The greater the width of air deceleration by the inlet, the greater the pressure loss. Pressure loss leads to reduced thrust in the engine. Because the scramjet engine does not have to reduce the intake air to below the sonic speed inside the engine, it can reduce the pressure loss at the inlet even at faster flight speeds than the ramjet engine. As a result, a scramjet engine can achieve a theoretical maximum speed of Mach 15 or more.

Because the scramjet is aiming for a very fast flight speed, the surface of the engine is greatly heated by aerodynamic heating. In addition, the inside of the engine also generates shock waves due to the air in the intake port, so that the temperature rises greatly, and the fuel is added to the combustion chamber so that the temperature inside the combustion chamber and the nozzle further rises.

The scramjet generates thrust only when the air is compressed by the shock wave generated at the intake port. Therefore, the engine does not generate thrust until the flight speed of the airplane is sufficient. Therefore, until the scramjet starts to generate sufficient thrust starting from the stationary state, another type of engine must accelerate the flight.

Plasma is a chemically reactive medium. Plasma can produce low or high temperature environments depending on how it is activated and its energies, which can be divided into low-temperature plasma or thermal plasma, respectively. Thermal plasmas, especially arc plasma, have been extensively industrialized in the aerospace industry.

An object of one embodiment is to provide a scramjet plasma engine for lowering the required speed for shockwave ignition using plasma.

It is an object of one embodiment to provide a scramjet plasma engine for stabilizing and stabilizing a hot gas in a plasma state at a central axis in a magnetic field and preventing damage to the inner wall of the combustion chamber.

An object of one embodiment is to provide a scramjet plasma engine for obtaining a larger thrust than a conventional scramjet engine using plasma.

According to one embodiment, the scramjet plasma engine includes an air intake port for compressing the air sucked in due to a gradual decrease in cross-sectional area of the airflow along the air inflow direction, a fuel injection space located in the downstream direction of the air intake port, An exhaust nozzle located downstream of the fuel injection space and combusted due to mixing of the fuel with compressed air at a high temperature and an exhaust nozzle positioned downstream of the combustion space and exhausting the combustion gas burned; ; And a fuel injector including a fuel reservoir for storing the fuel and a nozzle for injecting the fuel toward the fuel injection space.

The scramjet plasma engine includes an electrode rod disposed in the fuel injection space; And a direct current power source for generating an arc by applying different voltages to the electrode rod and the engine body to plasmaize the fuel between the electrode rod and the engine body.

The scramjet plasma engine may further include an electromagnetic coil embedded in the engine body along a circumferential direction of the combustion space.

The fuel may be liquefied hydrogen.

The scramjet plasma engine may further include a controller for receiving the speed of the flying object equipped with the scramjet plasma engine and controlling the fuel injector, the DC power source, and the electromagnetic coil based on the speed.

Wherein the control unit controls the fuel injector to inject the fuel into the fuel injection space unit when the speed is Mach number 3 or more and controls the DC power source to apply different voltages to the electrode rod and the engine body , The electromagnetic coil may be controlled to concentrate the combustion gas around the axis of the engine body.

According to one embodiment, the air vehicle may include the scramjet plasma engine, a solid fuel engine that generates propulsion using solid fuel, and a control unit.

The control unit may operate the solid fuel engine if the speed is less than Mach number 3, and may not operate the scramjet plasma engine.

The control unit may operate the scramjet plasma engine and separate the solid fuel engine from the air vehicle if the speed is Mach 3 or more.

According to one embodiment, the scramjet plasma engine can reduce the speed requirement for ensuring the ignition condition by compressing the air using the plasma.

According to one embodiment, the scramjet plasma engine generates an electromagnetic field using an electromagnetic coil, and concentrates the plasma jet around the axis of the engine to prevent thermal damage to the engine.

According to one embodiment, since the scramjet plasma engine expands the hydrogen, which is the fuel, into a high-temperature plasma state and expands, a larger thrust than the conventional scramjet engine can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view of an aircraft including a scramjet plasma engine according to one embodiment.
2 is a cross-sectional view of a scramjet plasma according to one embodiment.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an aircraft including a scramjet plasma according to one embodiment.
4 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a scramjet plasma engine and a solid fuel engine according to one embodiment.
5 is a block diagram illustrating an aircraft including a scramjet plasma engine and a solid fuel engine in accordance with one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference symbols as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the best of an understanding clear.

In describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, Quot; may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected. &Quot;

1 is a perspective view of an aircraft including a scramjet plasma engine according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a scramjet plasma engine 10 can generate propulsive force of the air vehicle 100 by receiving fuel. The scramjet plasma engine 10 can maintain the flow of air at supersonic speed, so that the air is compressed and the fuel is burned by the plasma. Through the scramjet plasma engine 10, the air vehicle 100 can fly at supersonic speed of Mach 6 or more.

The scramjet plasma engine 10 may be disposed, for example, below the flight body 90. The scramjet plasma engine 10 may be mounted on, for example, a rocket and an aircraft. The subject of the scramjet plasma engine 510 is not limited thereto, and any object flying in supersonic mode is possible.

The scramjet plasma engine 10 burns the fuel by using the inflow air 40 and the plasma that flow toward the air intake port and exhausts the combustion gas 50 to propel the airplane 100 forward Can be obtained.

2 is a cross-sectional view of a scramjet plasma according to one embodiment. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an aircraft including a scramjet plasma according to one embodiment.

2 and 3, the scramjet plasma engine 10 includes an engine body 11, a fuel injector 13, an electrode rod 15, a DC power supply 16, an electromagnetic coil 17, 18).

The engine body 11 can secure a flow passage through which the inflow air 40 can pass. For example, the engine body 11 may be in the form of a column with an empty interior.

The engine body 11 includes an air intake port 111 for compressing the air sucked in by a gradual decrease in the cross-sectional area of the air passage along the inflow direction of the air, a fuel injection port 111 located in the downstream direction of the air intake port 111, (113), a combustion space (115) located downstream of the fuel injection space (113) and combusted due to mixing with high temperature air compressed by the fuel, and a downstream fuel combustion space (115) And an exhaust nozzle 117 for exhausting the exhaust gas.

The air intake port 111 may have a structure in which the sectional area of the flow passage gradually decreases along the traveling direction of the inflow air 40. The inflow air 40 passes through the air intake port and can be gradually compressed to have a high-temperature, high-pressure state.

The fuel injection space 113 may be a space between the engine body 11 and the electrode rod 15. [ Fuel is injected into the fuel injection space 113, and the fuel can move to the combustion space 115 along the flow path. The fuel may be, for example, liquefied hydrogen.

The combustion space 115 may be a space in which the fuel is burnt. The combustion gas burned in the combustion space 115 can move to the exhaust nozzle 117 along the flow path.

The exhaust nozzle 117 may have a structure in which the sectional area of the flow passage gradually increases along the traveling direction of the inflow air 40. The combustion gas is expanded and exhausted at the exhaust nozzle 117, and the air vehicle 100 can obtain propulsive force.

The fuel injector 13 may include a fuel reservoir 131 for storing fuel and a nozzle 132 for injecting fuel. The fuel injector 13 may be embedded in the engine body 11. [

The electrode rod 15 may be disposed in the fuel injection space. The electrode rod 15 may have a cutting edge protruding toward the air inlet 111. The tip assists to form an oblique shock wave when the inflow air 40 flows into the fuel injection space 113 from the air intake port 111. The electrode rod 15 may be connected to the engine body 11 through an insulator.

The DC power supply 16 can apply different voltages to the electrode rod 15 and the engine body 11 to plasmaize the fuel between the electrode rod 15 and the engine body to generate an arc a .

The DC power supply 16 may apply a DC voltage to the electrode rod 15 and the engine body 11. For example, the direct current power supply 16 can apply a voltage so that the electrode rod 15 has a negative electrode and the engine body 11 has a positive electrode. In this case, an electric field proportional to the magnitude of the voltage may be generated between the electrode rod 15 and the engine body 11. When the intensity of the voltage applied by the DC power supply 16 exceeds a certain level, electrons may be emitted from the cathode. For example, electrons may be emitted from the electrode rod 15 having a cathode. In this case, the electrons move toward the engine body 11 of the anode, collide with the fuel, and can make the fuel plasma. The plasmaized fuels move along the electric field to the electrode rod 15 having a cathode, and can collide with the electrode rod 15. Due to the collision, the electrode rod 15 emits more electrons and can accelerate the plasmaization of the fuel.

The DC power supply 16 can generate an arc between the electrode rod 15 and the engine body 11. [ The arc (a) can ignite the plasmaized fuel. By igniting the fuel through the arc (a), forced ignition is possible without depending on the oblique shock wave, and the ignition stability can be improved. It is possible to ignite the fuel through the arc (a) even at a speed less than the Mach number 6 speed for oblique shockwave ignition combustion. The combustion gas 50 that has undergone such ignition may be in a plasma state.

In addition, various methods can be utilized to enhance fuel ignition stability. For example, the fuel injector 13 may further include a small reactor capable of generating high frequency energy. The small reactor can emit high-frequency energy into the fuel, bring the fuel into a plasma state at millions of degrees Celsius, and then inject fuel in the plasma state through the nozzle 132.

The electromagnetic coil 17 can generate a magnetic field. The electromagnetic coil 17 may be embedded in the engine body 11 along the circumferential direction of the combustion space 115. The electromagnetic coil 17 can concentrate the combustion gas 50 in the plasma state to the axis of the engine body 11 through a magnetic field. The electromagnetic coil 17 prevents direct contact of the high temperature combustion gas 50 with the engine body, thereby improving the durability of the engine. Further, the electromagnetic coil 17 can concentrate the combustion gas 50 around the axis of the engine body 11 to improve thrust.

The control unit 18 can control whether or not the respective configurations of the scramjet plasma engine 10 are operated. The control unit 18 receives the speed of the air vehicle 100 equipped with the scramjet plasma engine 10 and controls the fuel injector 13, the DC power source 16, and the electromagnetic coil 17 based on the speed . For example, a sensor (not shown) capable of sensing the speed of the air vehicle 100 may be provided at one side of the flight body 90 or the scramjet plasma engine 10. The sensor senses the speed of the air vehicle 100 and can transmit information on the speed to the control unit 18. The controller 18 may receive information about the speed from the sensors and transmit control signals to the respective configurations of the scramjet plasma engine 10.

The control unit 18 controls the fuel injector 13 to inject the fuel into the fuel injection space 113 and controls the DC power supply 16 It is possible to concentrate the combustion gas 50 around the axis of the engine body 11 by applying different voltages to the electrode rod 15 and the engine body 11 and controlling the electromagnetic coil 17. [ In this case, when the speed of the air vehicle 100 becomes equal to or greater than Mach number 3, the fuel can be converted into plasma, and the fuel can be ignited and burned through the arc.

4 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a scramjet plasma engine and a solid fuel engine according to one embodiment. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an aircraft including a scramjet plasma engine and a solid fuel engine in accordance with one embodiment.

The air vehicle 200 may include a flight body 90, a scramjet plasma engine 10, a solid fuel engine 20 and a control unit 18.

When the air vehicle 200 is flying in a stationary state or at a low speed, the propulsive force can be obtained from the solid fuel engine 20. For example, the solid fuel engine 20 may apply propulsion to the air vehicle 200 until the air vehicle 200 obtains a speed of at least Mach 3.

The control unit 18 can operate the scramjet plasma engine 10 and separate the solid fuel engine 20 from the air vehicle 200 when the speed of the air vehicle 200 is Mach number 3 or more.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to be exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, It will be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (8)

An air intake port for compressing the air sucked in due to a gradual decrease in cross-sectional area of the air passage along the inflow direction of the air, a fuel injection space located in the downstream direction of the air intake port for injecting fuel, A combustion chamber in which the combustion gas is burned due to the high temperature compressed air mixed with the air, and an exhaust nozzle located downstream of the combustion chamber and exhausting the combustion gas; And
A fuel injector including a fuel reservoir for storing the fuel and a nozzle for injecting the fuel toward the fuel injection space;
The plasma engine comprising:
The method according to claim 1,
An electrode rod disposed in the fuel injection space; And
A direct current power source for generating an arc by applying different voltages to the electrode rod and the engine body to plasmaize the fuel between the electrode rod and the engine body;
Further comprising: a scramjet plasma engine.
3. The method of claim 2,
And an electromagnetic coil embedded in the engine body along a circumferential direction of the combustion space.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the fuel is liquefied hydrogen.
The method of claim 3,
And a control unit that receives the speed of the flying object equipped with the scramjet plasma engine and controls the fuel injector, the DC power source, and the electromagnetic coil based on the speed.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the control unit controls the fuel injector to inject the fuel into the fuel injection space unit when the speed is Mach number 3 or more and controls the DC power source to apply different voltages to the electrode rod and the engine body And the electromagnetic coil is controlled to concentrate the combustion gas around an axis of the engine body.
7. A flying body including the scramjet plasma engine according to claim 6,
Further comprising a solid fuel engine that forms propulsion using solid fuel,
Wherein the control unit operates the solid fuel engine if the speed is less than Mach number 3 and does not operate the scramjet plasma engine.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the control unit operates the scramjet plasma engine and separates the solid fuel engine from the air vehicle if the speed is Mach number 3 or more.

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