Aiming high
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Testing is being conducted in the University’s key T4 ground test facility in the Centre for Hypersonics.
Associate Professor Michael Smart said the new scramjet designs being developed used REST (Rectangular Elliptical Shape Transition) intakes.
“We are looking at entire engine designs based on elliptical combustors, which are more efficient shapes than the rectangular HyShot™ II shape that achieved the first supersonic combustion in actual flight in 2002.”
The testing follows UQ-led HyShot™ III and IV scramjet experiments, which lifted safely into flight on March 25 and 30 at Woomera, South Australia.
The two flights aimed to test two different engine configurations at speeds up to 8000km per hour.
The $2 million HyShot™ III experiment used a scramjet engine developed by UK company, QinetiQ while the $1.3 million HyShot™ IV experiment was a commission from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The HyShot™ program is negotiating with an international partner on an ongoing series of 10 experimental flights, with the ultimate goal of a free-flying scramjet-powered vehicle.
Following the March flights, a $8.5 million alliance in scramjet development was announced between UQ, the Queensland Government and Boeing.
The alliance also includes UQ contributions and benefits from an Australian Research Council Discovery grant.
