Key Element for Supersonic Passenger Aircraft Invented in Russia

A new overwing air intake for a supersonic civil aircraft has been patented in Russia, which increases the efficiency and gas-dynamic stability of the power plant at cruising supersonic speeds. The development was published in the FIPS database.

The key feature of the design is a fixed braking surface in the form of a dihedral angle with a smooth junction of planes. Unlike previously proposed solutions, the air intake has a teardrop-shaped inlet adapted to the geometry of the airframe, which ensures a smooth connection of the duct to the engine and reduces the risk of flow separation.

The developers eliminated one of the main problems of the overwing configuration: the entry of a thick boundary layer into the engine inlet. To do this, the air intake is equipped with an advanced boundary layer control system.

It includes a transverse slot in the throat area, a subpanel cavity, and windows for discharging low-energy air into the external flow from the side of the wing and fuselage.

A separate design solution is the trimming of the upper part of the shell, made parallel to the front of the closing shock wave. This eliminates boundary layer separation at supersonic speeds and reduces total pressure losses in front of the engine.

The new air intake provides a total pressure recovery coefficient no lower than that of classical schemes, while maintaining low flow non-uniformity at the engine inlet. This directly indicates stable operation of the power plant during supersonic flight.

Andrey Kozlov, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motor Engineering named after P. I. Baranov (CIAM), predicted that the first supersonic aircraft in Russia may appear no earlier than the 2040s. He also stated that Russia is three years ahead of the USA in the development of an engine for supersonic civil aviation.

Aviation expert Roman Gusarov stated to "First Technical" that the new supersonic aircraft could be equipped with a 177S engine, originally developed for tactical aviation.

Read more on the topic:

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