A new integration method based on the coupling of mutistage osculating cones waverider and Busemann inlet for hypersonic airbreathing vehicles

Abstract This paper proposes a new design method employed for a practical integration of multistage compression osculating cones waverider and Busemann inlet. The singularity based on Taylor–Maccoll equations for Busemann inlet is vertified to result in the failure to directly integrate mutistage waverider and Busemann inlet. In order to avoid this limitation, a revised transition portion is incorporated into the integration, which achieves the objective to integrate multistage compression waverider with Busemann inlet in geometrical configuration. Aerodynamic characteristics of the integration and a compared three-stage compression osculating cones waverider are compared and analyzed in the same design conditions with the same leading edge of the forebody. The research results show that the integration with a Busemann inlet as its third-stage compression surface has greater lift-to-drag ratio, more uniform airbreathing inflow at the inlet entrance, and greater total pressure recovery coefficient with the same mass flowrate. And the performance can satisfy the requirements of the forebody-inlet compression for hypersonic vehicles.