Research on a novel internal waverider TBCC inlet for ramjet mode

The Internal WaveRider (IWR) inlet is a novel concept of inward turning inlet with superior aerodynamic performance. And turbine based combined cycle (TBCC) is the ideal propulsion for aerospace plane or hypersonic vehicle because of its re-usability and flexibility. In this paper, the IWR concept was applied to the design of a TBCC inlet. The improved IWR inlet that based on ICFC+ flowfield was designed firstly, and then the integration of it with variable-geometry scheme for a TBCC was presented. Feasible variable mechanism concept was proposed to change the cross-sectional area with smooth curvature transition to obtain a high total pressure recovery. Besides, the boundary layer bleed slots that placed around the splitters provided weaker shock/boundary layer interactions. The new inlet was studied by the CFD simulations subsequently and the results showed significant improvements, for example, the mass flow coefficient (greater than 89% at M2.5) maintained high-level, which contributed to increase thrust for propulsion system. Furthermore, the flowfield and overall properties of the TBCC inlet were suitable at the ramjet mode.