A ramjet including: a combustion area having an air inlet and an exhaust outlet; and a fuel cell in fluid communication with the air inlet and a fuel supply of the ramjet, wherein the fuel cell is in thermal communication with the combustion area.

Jet engine inlet structure of a supersonic aircraft comprising the structure having an inlet ramp and an cowl lip spaced outwardly of the ramp so that entering air flows between the ramp and lip, the lip and ramp configured to produce a first oblique shock that extends outwardly from a forward portion of the ramp to pass ahead of the lip, and a terminal shock that extends outwardly from a rearward portion of the ramp to one of the following x.sub.o) a region just ahead of the lip x.sub.1) substantially to said lip.

A non-uniform shock system is created that generates a central region of nearly isentropic compression and relatively ram recovery and an outer region of reduced ram recovery but entailing reduced cowl angle and drag. Translating cowl structure and also nozzle integration with the fuselage contour to reduce boat tail drag are also provided.

Airframe integrated scramjet engines are disclosed. Scramjet engines within the scope of this disclosure may be configured to integrate smoothly with an airframe of a hypersonic flight aircraft or vehicle. The scramjet engine may include capture shape of an inlet configured to capture airflow, a combustor configured for combustion of fuel and air, and an exit shape of a nozzle configured for expansion of the combusted fuel and air to provide hypersonic thrust. In some embodiments, the scramjet engine has a fixed geometry and a transitioning cross-sectional shape over its full length. The scramjet engine is configured to be a component of launch vehicle system.

A hybrid airbreathing rocket engine module (70) comprises an air intake arrangement (62) configured to receive air and a heat exchanger arrangement (63) configured to cool air from the air intake arrangement (62); a compressor (64) configured to compress air from the heat exchanger arrangement (63); and one or more thrust chambers (65). The air intake arrangement (62), the compressor (64), the heat exchanger arrangement (63), and the one or more thrust chambers (65) are arranged generally along an axis (69) of the engine module (70). The heat exchanger arrangement (63) is arranged between the compressor (64) and the one or more thrust chambers (65).

A method of reducing low-energy flow in a flight vehicle engine includes an isolator of the engine having a swept-back wedge to improve flow mixing. The wedge includes forward shock-anchoring locations, such as edges or rapidly-curved portions, that anchor oblique shocks in situations where the isolator has sufficient back pressure. The swept-back wedge may also create swept oblique shocks along its length. Boundary layer flow streamlines are diverted running parallel to or parallel but moving outward conically to the swept-wedge leading edge moving outboard and upward. The non-viscous flow outside the boundary layer is processed through the swept-back ramp shock and diverted outboard and upward as well. The outboard aft portion of the wedge at the sidewall intersection may also induce shocks and divert flow near the walls closer toward the walls and upward, and/or improve flow mixing.

An engine inlet for efficient operation at both design Mach number and off-design Mach numbers has a variable geometry caret inlet having an initial compression ramp and a principal compression ramp extending aft from and rotatably attached to the initial compression ramp at a forward hinge line. The principal compression ramp is rotatable from a low Mach position to a design Mach position. A diffuser ramp is engaged by the principal compression ramp at an interface. The diffuser ramp is rotatably mounted at an aft hinge line to a diffuser. The diffuser ramp is rotatable oppositely to the principal compression ramp to maintain contact at the interface. An actuation mechanism has a forward cam drive assembly configured to rotate the principal compression ramp about the forward hinge line. An aft cam drive assembly is configured to rotate the diffuser ramp about the aft hinge line. A motor assembly has at least one motor to drive the forward cam drive assembly and the aft cam drive assembly.

A high efficiency hydrogen fuel system for an aircraft at high altitude which utilizes 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 hydrogen is also used to cool the fuel cell as it is also depressurized prior to its entry in the fuel cell cycle. A water condensation system allows for water removal from the airstream to reduce impacts to the atmosphere. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with VTOL aircraft, which may allow them to fly at higher elevations. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with other subsonic and supersonic aircraft, such as with asymmetric wing aircraft.

A device for a variable and adaptable diverterless bump engine inlet of an aircraft comprises a flexible inlet, a mechanism to change the shape of the flexible inlet, and a processing unit to control the mechanism. The flexible inlet of the device includes a plurality of edges attached partly to a fuselage skin and partly to an engine inlet duct. With this device, the shape of the flexible inlet can be controlled according to the flight conditions, and hence the engine air intake will perform more efficient at all speeds while fulfilling requirements for less radar visibility.

An aircraft structure has a fuselage, a wing and an air inlet for receiving air for an engine. The air inlet contains an elevation which rises from the fuselage and the wing. The elevation is arranged in a transition region between the wing and the fuselage and extends asymmetrically with respect to an angle bisector of an angle between a surface of the wing and the lateral surface of the fuselage. By virtue of this construction, a leading edge of the wing can be arranged further forward than the air inlet, and the air inlet configured according to these principles can positively influence a flow boundary layer on the aircraft structure.

An engine inlet for efficient operation at both design Mach number and off-design Mach numbers has a variable geometry caret inlet having an initial compression ramp and a principal compression ramp extending aft from and rotatably attached to the initial compression ramp at a forward hinge line. The principal compression ramp is rotatable from a low Mach position to a design Mach position. A diffuser ramp is engaged by the principal compression ramp at an interface. The diffuser ramp is rotatably mounted at an aft hinge line to a diffuser. The diffuser ramp is rotatable oppositely to the principal compression ramp to maintain contact at the interface. An actuation mechanism has a forward cam drive assembly configured to rotate the principal compression ramp about the forward hinge line. An aft cam drive assembly is configured to rotate the diffuser ramp about the aft hinge line. A motor assembly has at least one motor to drive the forward cam drive assembly and the aft cam drive assembly.