Reaction Engines achieves hypersonic propulsion system milestone
August 14, 2024
UK company Reaction Engines has achieved what it calls a “ground-breaking” milestone in the development of its hypersonic propulsion system, having “successfully demonstrated the integration of its innovative precooler technology with existing jet-engine architecture”.
During recent ground-based testing, a modified Rolls-Royce jet engine (combined with Reaction Engines’ precooler) achieved sustained Mach 3.5 operating conditions, “developing the viability of a key element for its innovative propulsion system concept for high-Mach / hypersonic aircraft,” explained the company. The current testing programme specifically simulates a propulsion system for an unpiloted, reusable aircraft concept.
The test programme had initially achieved sustained Mach 2.3 operating conditions (faster than Concorde’s operating speed) before operating at Mach 3.5 pressures and temperatures, matching the maximum known airspeed record of the Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’, the world’s fastest aircraft powered by an air-breathing engine.
“As the world’s most advanced heat exchanger technology company, this significant milestone is a testament to our relentless efforts to develop novel, innovative, reusable and affordable propulsion systems for hypersonic air vehicles at pace,” explained Reaction Engines chief executive Mark Thomas.
Alongside its precooler innovation, the company is also developing and testing high-Mach intake designs and technology for hypersonic capabilities, with hardware currently being manufactured and assembled for a full-scale ground-based thermomechanical test. This will augment learnings already informed by sub-scale aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing, assessing intake performance over a range of supersonic conditions.
