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Flight-Type Scramjet Completes Historic Test Series

DAYTON, Ohio (July 14, 2003)— As the first century of aviation is celebrated at the International Air and Space Symposium, technology now being developed is writing the future for the second 100 years of aviation.

Pratt & Whitney (P&W) Space Propulsion, teamed with U.S. Air Force researchers under the Hypersonic Technology (HyTech) Program, has completed testing of a revolutionary scramjet engine. The Ground Demonstration Engine number one (GDE-1), which weighs less than 150 pounds, was tested at speeds of Mach 4.5 and Mach 6.5 in hypersonic ground test facilities. GDE-1 was the world’s first flight-weight, hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet engine, and used standard JP-7 fuel to both cool engine hardware and fuel the engine’s combustor.

"This has been a historic test program that has set the foundation for the development of hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet engine technology," P&W Space Propulsion Hypersonics Program Manager Joaquin Castro said. "I am really proud of the team for its hard work, dedication and technical achievements."

During numerous runs at Mach 4.5 and Mach 6.5 (September 2002 through June 2003), GDE-1 reliably produced significant net positive thrust, which is important because it demonstrates the ability to efficiently burn fuel and accelerate a vehicle at these speeds. The thermal characteristics and structural durability of the engine were validated at both speeds.

"The engine performed exceptionally well," Castro said. "Performance exceeded Mach 6.5 objectives and met Mach 4.5 requirements."

The test series built upon the heavyweight, heat-sink Performance Test Engine (PTE) that completed testing in 2001. Following GDE-1, the next engine in this successful series will be Ground Demonstration Engine number two (GDE-2). This engine will also be hydrocarbon-fueled and use flight-weight structure like the GDE-1; however, GDE-2 will feature a fully integrated fuel-system that will introduce control hardware and software that will enable the engine to run as a complete closed-loop system. GDE-2 will incorporate a Full Authority Digital Engine Controller (FADEC) to orchestrate fuel controls and transitions. It is expected to begin "full-up" engine testing next year.

Applications for HyTech technology include access-to-space, global reach and fast-reaction, long-range air-to-surface missiles. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s long-term vision for scramjet engines includes power for launch vehicles that can substantially reduce the cost of access to space and deliver aircraft-like operations. It also foresees applications for military and commercial aircraft that can span the globe in less than a few hours, and hypersonic missiles with Mach 6.5-plus-cruise capability that can fly hundreds of nautical miles in minutes.

In 1996, P&W won the $48-million contract, called Hydrocarbon Scramjet Engine Technology (HySET), under which this work is being accomplished. As a result of the program’s success, the X43-C (a joint NASA/USAF program) has emerged. The goal of this program is to flight test a derivative of the HySET engine in 2007.

P&W Space Propulsion, a leader in liquid, solid, electric and hypersonic propulsion, has sites located at West Palm Beach, Fla. and San Jose, Calif., United States. P&W's web site address is www.pw.utc.com P&W, a United Technologies company (NYSE: UTX), is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.

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