Supersonic jet engine includes a housing and an exhaust nozzle. Spike extends outwardly from the housing. Plurality of fans are arranged in an axial direction within the housing, each of the plurality of fans includes a plurality of fan blades. Plurality of turbines are included, and each of the plurality of turbines having a plurality of turbine blades and being arranged and coupled to a respective one of the fans in a radial direction. Plurality of radial compressors are located radially from the each of the plurality of turbines and are operable to drivingly rotate the respective turbine, which in turn rotates the respective fan. Plurality of electric motors are included, and each of the plurality of electric motors are coupled to a respective one of the plurality of radial compressors and drivingly rotating the respective radial compressor.

A passive bypass for an inlet to a supersonic or hypersonic air-breathing engine allows airflow in the inlet to exit through the cowling when the inlet supplies more airflow than the air-breathing engine demands. The air-breathing engine may be the only form of propulsion or a secondary form of propulsion to reach higher speeds. The passive bypass includes a plurality of lower channels in the cowling that are operatively coupled to the inlet diffuser at an inner surface of the cowling and swept forward towards the throat, a plenum in the cowling operatively coupled to the plurality of lower openings and a plurality of upper channels in the cowling that are operatively coupled to the plenum and swept back away from the throat to an outer surface of the cowling. A serpentine path through the plurality of lower openings, the plenum and the plurality of upper openings allows airflow in the inlet to exit through the cowling when the inlet supplies more airflow than the air-breathing engine demands.

The present invention provides a hypersonic large internal contraction ratio air inlet channel having stepless adjustable air release valve, including an air inlet channel front body, an air-discharging slit cover plate, sidewalls, a lip cover, air-discharging cavities, valve plates, partition plates, a rotatable shaft, an expansion section and a driver. The valve plates are rotated through the driver according to the actual working conditions of air inlet channel, the minimum cross-section of the air discharging flow path is thus changed, and a stepless dynamic adjustment of the air discharging flow of the air inlet channel can be realized, so that the aerodynamic performance of the air inlet channel is improved, and the air discharging resistance of the air vehicle is reduced.

A hypersonic vehicle has a body, a control surface, and a hypersonic air-breathing engine. The engine includes a converging inlet having a fixed cowling having a first cross-sectional area and a throat having a second cross-sectional area. A flow restrictor is movable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position. The flow restrictor has a third cross-sectional area that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area, such that a consistent gap is formed between a periphery of the flow restrictor and an inner surface of the cowling with the flow restrictor in the fully deployed position and the difference between the first cross-sectional area and the third cross-sectional area is approximately equal to the second cross-sectional area.

A cooling system for an aircraft capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds includes an inlet configured to receive a first medium and a thermodynamic device fluidly connected to the inlet. The thermodynamic device includes at least one turbine and a compressor operably coupled via a shaft. An outlet of the at least one turbine is directly fluidly connected to an inlet of the compressor. An electric generator is operably coupled to the at least one turbine.

Systems and methods capable for use in the development of high-speed, shape-transitioning, inward-turning inlets for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles, and inlets formed thereby. The systems and methods preferably provide for designing high-speed inlets for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles, wherein unique solutions are defined in each osculating plane of the inlet. Such systems and methods optionally provide an optimization process for tuning the post throat-shock Mach number of the inlet, and/or designs a shock-capture surface using a parallel-streamlines methodology, and/or a double cowl-lip geometry to allow flow to spill overboard.

A propulsion system for an aircraft includes an engine having a central axis. A cowl surrounds the engine and includes a cowl lip. A compression ramp is spaced away from the cowl lip. An inlet is formed by the cowl lip and the compression ramp. The compression ramp is non-planar. The compression ramp is movable relative to the cowl lip to vary compression of an inlet airflow through the inlet.

A thrust unit for an aircraft with a hydrogen fuel system. The aircraft may utilize compressors to compress air to a sufficiently high pressure for the fuel cell. Liquid hydrogen is compressed and then utilized in heat exchangers to cool the compressed air, maintaining the air at a temperature low enough for the fuel cell. The thrust unit may be an electrically powered fan unit with a fan within a fan tube. The fan tube may include air inlets for the fuel cell system, as well as outlets for exhaust from the fuel cell system. The fan tube may contain heat exchangers which are part of the fuel cell thermodynamic system.

A hydrogen fuel cell powered electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with a high efficiency hydrogen fuel system. The eVTOL aircraft may utilized tilt-up rotors for hover flight, which then transition to a forward facing forward flight configuration. The fuel cell system may use one or more compressors to compress air to a sufficiently high pressure for the fuel cell. Liquid hydrogen may be compressed and then utilized in heat exchangers to cool the compressed air, maintaining the air at a temperature low enough for the fuel cell. The hydrogen may also be used to cool the fuel cell as it is also depressurized prior to its entry in the fuel cell cycle.

An air intake for an aircraft propulsion system includes a cowl including a longitudinal axis. The air intake includes a compression ramp spaced away from the cowl. The air intake includes an inlet duct formed between the cowl and the compression ramp. The inlet duct defines an inlet airflow path. The compression ramp is non-planar. The compression ramp is movable relative to the cowl to vary compression of the inlet airflow passing through the inlet duct.