A new generation hypersonic dual-mode ramjet engine has been tested.
GE Aerospace has announced the successful testing of its new generation hypersonic dual-mode ramjet engine, which delivers a threefold increase in air flow. The new engine promises higher speeds and greater range.
GE Aerospace has announced the successful testing of its new hypersonic dual-mode ramjet engine, which provides a threefold increase in airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic propulsion systems. The new engine is expected to enable higher speed flights and greater range. Remarkably, the development and testing of the engine took only 11 months.
GE Aerospace tests new ramjet engine
The dual-mode ramjet began testing in March of this year, just 11 months after design work commenced. According to the announcement, the tests exceeded performance expectations, delivering three times the airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic engines, thus raising hopes for the new ramjet.
The rapid and successful development and testing of the dual-mode ramjet in such a short time is attributed to Innoveering, a company specializing in hypersonic propulsion, which GE Aerospace acquired in 2022. However, the company has not disclosed technical details about the engine.
A ramjet engine, a type of air-breathing jet engine that does not use a compressor, operates by drawing air inward due to the forward motion of the aircraft and compressing it through specially shaped inlet passages. The engine then directs the compressed air into a combustion chamber where fuel is injected and ignited. The resulting hot gases are expelled through an exhaust nozzle to produce thrust.
The most significant feature of a ramjet is its lack of moving parts, making its design relatively simple. However, for a ramjet to operate, the aircraft must already be moving at high speeds because, as mentioned, high-speed air is required to enter the combustion chamber. Therefore, ramjets are typically not used alone on aircraft. Instead, they require a system to accelerate them initially. As a result, ramjets operate most efficiently at high speeds (usually around Mach 3 and above). For these reasons, they are preferred in hypersonic missiles and, more recently, in projects involving very high-speed aircraft.
