A gas turbine engine designed to take-off and land as a conventional turbofan engine at subsonic speeds and accelerate to supersonic speeds during flight by converting into a hybrid turbojet and ramjet engine. This is achieved by introducing an afterburner in the bypass duct of the engine and by retracting the bypass fan backward into a cylinder. This operation is carried out before the aircraft enters the transonic regime, at any stage below Mach 1. At supersonic speed, the shock wave is deflected through a needle cone that is projected out of the nose of the engine in order to prevent the intake air from being choked.

A gas turbine engine designed to take-off and land as a conventional turbofan engine at subsonic speeds and accelerate to supersonic speeds during flight by converting into a hybrid turbojet and ramjet engine. This is achieved by introducing an afterburner in the bypass duct of the engine and by retracting the bypass fan backward into a cylinder. This operation is carried out before the aircraft enters the transonic regime, at any stage below Mach 1. At supersonic speed, the shock wave is deflected through a needle cone that is projected out of the nose of the engine in order to prevent the intake air from being choked.

A turbine engine structure includes a turbine engine core having a core cocooning feature, and a fan fore of the turbine engine core, relative to fluid flow through the turbine engine structure. The fan is drivably connected to the turbine engine core via a shaft. A nacelle circumferentially surrounds the turbine engine core, and a bypass flowpath is defined between the turbine engine core and the nacelle. A plurality of augmenter fuel spray bars are disposed in the bypass flowpath.

A turbine engine structure includes a turbine engine core having a core cocooning feature, and a fan fore of the turbine engine core, relative to fluid flow through the turbine engine structure. The fan is drivably connected to the turbine engine core via a shaft. A nacelle circumferentially surrounds the turbine engine core, and a bypass flowpath is defined between the turbine engine core and the nacelle. A plurality of augmenter fuel spray bars are disposed in the bypass flowpath.

A turbine engine structure includes a turbine engine core having a core cocooning feature, and a fan fore of the turbine engine core, relative to fluid flow through the turbine engine structure. The fan is drivably connected to the turbine engine core via a shaft. A nacelle circumferentially surrounds the turbine engine core, and a bypass flowpath is defined between the turbine engine core and the nacelle. A plurality of augmenter fuel spray bars are disposed in the bypass flowpath.

A fuel reformation system includes a fuel delivery system that supports fuel, an oxidizer delivery system that supports an oxidizer, a mixer/vaporizer system in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system and the oxidizer delivery system, and a fuel processing reactor system. The mixer/vaporizer system receives the oxidizer from the oxidizer delivery system and the fuel from the fuel delivery system to mix and vaporize the oxidizer and fuel into a first effluent. The fuel processing reactor system receives the first effluent and reacts with the first effluent to generate a second effluent in the form of hot syngas for selective injection into a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.

A fuel reformation system includes a fuel delivery system that supports fuel, an oxidizer delivery system that supports an oxidizer, a mixer/vaporizer system in fluid communication with the fuel delivery system and the oxidizer delivery system, and a fuel processing reactor system. The mixer/vaporizer system receives the oxidizer from the oxidizer delivery system and the fuel from the fuel delivery system to mix and vaporize the oxidizer and fuel into a first effluent. The fuel processing reactor system receives the first effluent and reacts with the first effluent to generate a second effluent in the form of hot syngas for selective injection into a high speed, air-breathing propulsion system.

A hybrid propulsion system and methods for cooling the same are provided. The system may comprise a gas turbine and a secondary engine. The gas turbine engine may have a core passage and an engine compartment. The secondary engine may be a supersonic and/or hypersonic engine. The system may comprise a thermal barrier, an inlet and an exhaust. The thermal barrier may longitudinally envelope the gas turbine engine. The thermal barrier may comprise an inner envelope, an outer envelope, an upstream opening, and a downstream opening. The inlet may be in fluid communication with the ambient environment and the gas turbine engine via the upstream opening. The exhaust may be in fluid communication with the ambient environment and the gas turbine engine via the downstream opening. The engine compartment may be located between a boundary of the core passage and the inner envelope.

A boost compressor assembly may comprise an outer annular structure and a plurality of blades. Each blade in the plurality of blades may be moveably coupled to the outer annular structure. The plurality of blades may be configured to deploy in response to the boost compressor assembly rotating. The plurality of blades may be configured to retract when the boost compressor assembly stops rotating.

A nozzle wall for an air-breathing engine, the nozzle wall including a first wall surface subject to engine exhaust flow, a nozzle cooling system including at least one heat exchange fluid passage disposed adjacent the first wall surface so as to increase a temperature of a cooling fluid flowing from a fluid reservoir to at least a power extraction device, and the cooling fluid is ejected from the nozzle cooling system downstream from the power extraction device.