Low shock strength propulsion system

摘要

A supersonic nacelle design employing a bypass flow path internal to the nacelle and around the engine is disclosed herein. A set of aerodynamic vanes may be used to shape a supersonic airflow within a bypass around an engine. The vanes may be capable of directing the subsonic airflow around the engine, and then expanding the subsonic airflow into a supersonic exhaust. The vanes may shape the airflow by reducing sonic boom strength, cowl drag, and airframe interference drag.

主权项

1. A supersonic nozzle for a supersonic engine, comprising:
an outer wall; a bypass wall disposed within the outer wall and configured to separate an airflow inside the outer wall into a primary flow portion and a bypass flow portion, the primary flow portion passing through a supersonic engine and the bypass flow portion passing through a bypass that bypasses the supersonic engine, the bypass flow portion comprising a subsonic flow; a set of struts configured to couple the outer wall with the bypass wall, the set of struts tailoring a direction of the bypass flow portion, the set of struts further configured to direct the bypass flow portion around the supersonic engine and to expand the bypass flow portion into a supersonic exhaust, a first sub-set of the set of struts having a first curvature that directs the bypass flow portion in a first circumferential direction around a protruding portion of the supersonic engine, a second sub-set of the set of struts having a second curvature that directs the bypass flow portion in a second circumferential direction around a protruding portion of the supersonic engine, a third sub-set of the set of struts disposed downstream of the first sub-set and having a third curvature that directs the bypass flow portion in the second circumferential direction, and a fourth sub-set of the set of struts disposed downstream of the second sub-set and having a fourth curvature that directs the bypass flow portion in the first circumferential direction; and an external compression inlet having an external compression surface upstream of the supersonic engine and the bypass.