Experimental investigation of ram accelerator propulsion modes

Experimental investigations on the propulsive modes of the ram accelerator are reviewed in this paper. The ram accelerator is a ramjet-in-tube projectile accelerator whose principle of operation is similar to that of a supersonic air-breathing ramjet. The projectile resembles the centerbody of a ramjet and travels through a stationary tube filled with a premixed gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixture. The combustion process travels with the projectile, generating a pressure distribution which produces forward thrust on the projectile. Several modes of ram accelerator operation are possible which are distinguished by their operating velocity range and the manner in which the combustion process is initiated and stabilized. Propulsive cycles utilizing subsonic, thermally choked combustion theoretically allow projectiles to be accelerated to the Chapman-Jouguet(C-J) detonation speed of a gaseous propellant mixture. In the superdetonative velocity range, the projectile is accelerated while always traveling faster than the C-J speed, and in the transdetonative regime (85–115 % of C-J speed) the projectile makes a smooth transition from a subdetonative to a superdetonative propulsive mode. This paper examines operation in these three regimes of flow using methane and ethylene based propellant mixtures in a 16 m long, 38 mm bore ram accelerator using 45–90 g projectiles at velocities up to 2500 m/s.