预冷涡轮发动机研究趋势及宽域预冷涡轮组合动力创新方案

Latest international and domestic research progresses of pre-cooled combined cycle engine were clarified, including Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) developed by the UK, the Air Turbo Ramjet of Expander Cycle (ATREX) and Precooled Turbojet Engine (PCTJ) developed by Japan, as well as the Pre-cooling Air Turbo Rocket (PATR) developed by Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute of China. The existing problems were summarized, including the challenges of efficient and compact heat transfer, hydrogen embrittlement problem of liquid hydrogen fuel, frost suppression, and complex control matching. It was predicted that those new propulsions with high heat sink fuels and complex thermodynamic cycles showed important trends for pre-cooled turbine engine. In this situation, fully considering actual national conditions of China, a new pre-cooled turbo rocket combined engine with independent intellectual property rights and distinctive technical characteristics in China was innovatively proposed for the first time, using endothermic hydrocarbon fuel to pre-cool incoming air. The key technologies of this new engine were analyzed, and a general conceptual engine design, performance evaluation, and working mechanism analysis were carried out. Many new characteristics of this engine were concluded: the flight Mach number ranging from 0 to 5, the flight altitude ranging from 0 to 30 km, and the fuel working at room temperature, which can support a wide-range and high-performance flight for near-space vehicles. Thus the feasibility and progressiveness of the new engine were theoretically verified. A conclusion was drawn that the new serial-type pre-cooled turbo-rocket engine with new aerodynamics and thermodynamics is an important way to achieve near-space flight vehicles.