INVERTED TURBOJET ENGINE FOR HYPERSONIC PROPULSION

Abstract

This paper concerns to the inverted turbojet engine intended for operation in the range of Mach numbers from 0 to 6. In the present engine configuration, which is based on the inverted Brayton cycle, the sequence of the core-engine components was arranged in the order: turbine - heat exchanger - compressor - combustor. It should also be noted that the inverted Brayton cycle has also been considered for application to stationary power generation systems in the role of a bottoming cycle. An improved version of the inverted turbojet engine (ITE), has also been proposed in the present paper, incorporates an additional burner installed between the inlet and the turbine. At low speeds this additional burner allows a heat input upstream of the turbine to augment thrust. The fuel-rich mode of operation is expected to be beneficial at high speed range. In summary, the inverted turbojet engine can produce sufficient thrust compared to other engine configurations and it reveals high-energy efficiency over the wide speed range.