GE Aerospace develops and tests new hypersonic ramjet
GE Aerospace has successfully demonstrated its “new, cutting-edge hypersonic dual-mode ramjet,” with the project potentially enabling high-speed flight and longer range across numerous multi-mission aircraft.
Described as “the most recent milestone in a diverse portfolio of hypersonic programmes,” the dual-mode ramjet commenced testing in March of this year, just 11 months after the design initiative was launched. This testing “delivered promising results, exceeding performance expectations and demonstrating robust operation of a dual-mode ramjet with a threefold increase in airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic technology demonstrators”.
Unlike a turbojet, the comparatively simpler ramjet has no moving parts; drawing in air via the aircraft’s forward motion, which is then compressed to provide propulsion. A dual-mode ramjet can be operated in both subsonic and supersonic speeds.
GE attributes the successful development and testing of the dual-mode ramjet through the collaboration of GE Aerospace’s engineering team, Innoveering (hypersonic propulsion specialists acquired by GE Aerospace in 2022), and its own research centre.
The next phase of development will now focus on “continued testing and technology demonstration in alignment with [GE’s] roadmap for integrated high-speed propulsion solutions,” confirmed Mark Rettig, vice president and general manager of Edison Works Business & Technology Development at GE Aerospace.
