New Delhi, Jan DRDO has successfully done a cutting-edge Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor (engine) ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India.
An official said that it marks a crucial milestone in developing next-generation hypersonic missiles.
Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 which is five times the speed of sound or more than 5,400 km/hr. These advanced weapons have the potential to bypass existing Air Defence Systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes.
According to the Ministry of Defence, several nations including the US, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing Hypersonic technology. The key to hypersonic vehicles is Scramjets, which are air-breathing engines capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts.
Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory has taken the initiative to develop a long-duration Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet-powered Hypersonic technology. DRDL recently developed these technologies.
The ground test of the scramjet combustor showcased several notable achievements, demonstrating its potential for operational use in Hypersonic vehicles, like successful ignition and stable combustion. Ignition in a scramjet engine is like ‘keeping a candle lit in a hurricane’.
Scramjet combustor incorporates an innovative flame stabilisation technique that holds continuous flame inside the combustor with airspeed in excess of 1.5 km/s. Many novel and promising ignition and flame-holding techniques were studied through many ground tests in arriving at the Scramjet Engine configuration.
Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation tools were used for their evaluation and performance prediction.
The Indigenous development of endothermic scramjet fuel, for the first time in India, jointly by DRDL and Industry is central to this breakthrough. The fuel offers dual benefits of significant cooling improvement and ease of ignition.
The team developed a special manufacturing process to achieve stringent fuel requirements of DRDL at the Industrial scale.
MoD said that another key achievement is the development of state-of-the-art Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) which is designed to withstand extreme temperatures encountered during hypersonic flight.
A new advanced ceramic TBC having high thermal resistance and capable of operating beyond the melting point of steel has been jointly developed by DRDL and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Laboratory.
The coating is applied inside the Scramjet engine using special deposition methods that enhance their performance and longevity. With demonstrated capabilities in stable combustion, enhanced performance and advanced thermal management, this breakthrough sets the stage for next-generation Hypersonic missions.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO and the Industry for the successful Scramjet Engine Ground Test.
“The achievement marks a crucial milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic missions,” he added.
Secretary, Department of Defence R and D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated the DRDL team and industry for demonstrating capabilities in stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management test.
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