Parametric Geometry Models for Hypersonic Aircraft: Integrated External Inlet Compression

Abstract

In this paper we are investigating a method for the design and integration of 3D external compression inlet geometries on parametric geometries of air-breathing hypersonic aircraft. We view the geometries as the first stage of a mixed compression inlet. The investigations are based on waverider geometries generated with the osculating cones waverider forebody design method. The osculating cones method is further utilized to create a second compression surface before the inlet cowl, essentially creating a second waverider geometry on the underside of the forebody. This way, we achieve greater compression for the part of the flow to be captured by the inlet cowl using a geometry that does not require sidewalls (like 2D ramps do), and has a potentially larger capture area than axisymmetric inlet geometries such as half-cones. The integration method is explained in detail, validated and further examined with CFD simulations.