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Remarkable possibilities of hypersonic technology.


Above: X-43 thermal image. 


The hypersonic aircraft can travel over the Atlantic Ocean in 30 minutes. That means the entire world in three or at least 5 hours range from the base, where that kind of aircraft stays. Hypersonic aircraft that use hydrogen as fuel don't leave pollution behind them. 

That means the hypersonic aircraft can be excellent tools for cargo and passenger flights. But the problem is that. Hypersonic aircraft are also weapons. The hypersonic aircraft can turn into a powerful kamikaze drone even if it cannot drop bombs. 

Diagram of a typical gas turbine jet engine. 

Connecting rocket applications with turbojets is possible to create spacecraft, that can operate from regular runways. In rocket turbojet, the hatch closes the air inlet and engine compressor face. The reason for that is this.  By closing the air inlet the system denies the gas flow to the front of the engine. Then the system starts to inject oxygen with propellant to the turbo-engine. 

New technology like acoustic systems that can push pressure waves away from the aircraft body makes it possible for the hypersonic aircraft, whose speed is about Mach 5-20 can operate in multiple altitudes. The hypersonic systems can use regular rocket engines like Kinzhal missiles do. But more advanced systems will use air-breathing engine systems like ramjets and scramjets. 

Diagram of a valved pulsejet. 

1 - Air enters through valve and is mixed with fuel. 

2 - The mixture is ignited, expands, closes the valve and exits through the tailpipe, creating thrust.

3 - Low pressure in the engine opens the valve and draws in air.

The pulsejet engine that is turned into a ramjet shape can be the answer to the hypersonic aircraft's problem. The pulsejet engine that was developed for the V-1 cruise missile in WWII can give the possibility to make new types of rocket systems. Pulsejet can be a breathing system at lower speeds. Then the pulsejet can close its air inlet. Then the system can start to inject liquid oxygen into the combustion chamber. 

That kind of engine makes it possible for the shuttle, which operates from regular runways and fly to space. In the atmosphere that kind of system can use an air-breathing pulsejet engine. And when the craft is required to operate at the edge of the atmosphere. Or the orbital trajectory. The aircraft closes the pulsejet's front hatch. Then the engine starts oxygen injection into the hydrogen fuel. 



"Simple ramjet operation, with Mach numbers of flow shown" (Wikipedia, Ramjet)

In some more futuristic models, the tractor beam could pull air to the ramjet engine. Or, an ionizer will ionize the air molecules, that the magnetic system pulls into the ramjet engine. The limit of the ramjet is about Mach 6-7. There is a more effective version of ramjet. 

"A shock-induced combustion ramjet engine (abbreviated as shcramjet; also called oblique detonation wave engine; also called standing oblique detonation ramjet (sodramjet); or simply referred to as shock-ramjet engine) is a concept of air-breathing ramjet engine, proposed to be used for hypersonic and/or single-stage-to-orbit propulsion applications. (Wikipedia, Shcramjet)

"Diagram of principle of operation of a scramjet engine." (Wikipedia, Scramjet)

In some other models, the regular turbojets raise the aircraft's speed to Mach 1. Then the ramjet engine starts to operate. Then the ramjet accelerates the aircraft to a speed that is about Mach 6. Then the scramjet will launch. 

The scramjet engine can also be an afterburner for the ramjet engine. When the aircraft's speed turns high enough, the fuel injection will turn to the scramjet. Those systems are the most exotic and powerful engines in the world. 


https://bigthink.com/the-future/hypersonic-flight/


https://bigthink.com/the-present/hypersonic-jet/


https://daily.jstor.org/the-alarming-possibilities-of-hypersonic-flight/


https://scitechdaily.com/not-science-fiction-researchers-have-developed-metasurface-tractor-beams/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_turborocket


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulsejet


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramjet


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shcramjet


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbojet


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