Air inlet with variable intake section: Application to air breathing launch vehicles
Abstract
The feasibility of air breathing propulsion for future space launch vehicles largely depends on the possibility of designing air intakes that will give the best trade-off between internal performance and which will provide suitable air supply to the engine, weight reduction, and aerodynamic drag. The trade-off can be markedly improved by using air intake designs with variable absorption sections. The design concepts are defined and their application to space launch vehicles is analyzed with respect to internal performance, mass, and aerodynamic drag.
- Publication:
-
In AGARD
- Pub Date:
- September 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992aeai.agarR....F
- Keywords:
-
- Aerospace Planes;
- Air Breathing Engines;
- Air Intakes;
- Engine Inlets;
- Launch Vehicles;
- Propulsion System Performance;
- Aerodynamic Drag;
- Propulsion System Configurations;
- Weight Reduction;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer