DRDO conducts key test in scramjet technology development

This is part of the efforts to develop a long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet technology.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In a crucial milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic munitions, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully demonstrated a cutting-edge active cooled scramjet combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India. This is part of the efforts to develop a long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet or scramjet powered 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, DRDO noted in a statement. “The ground test of scramjet combustor showcased several notable achievements, demonstrating its potential for operational use in hypersonic vehicles, like successful ignition and stable combustion,” it stated.

This was developed by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of the DRDO.

Hypersonic missiles are a class of weapons that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 – five times the speed of sound or more than 5,400 km/hr. Several nations including the U.S., Russia, and China are actively pursuing hypersonic technology.

Ignition in a scramjet engine is like ‘keeping a candle lit in a hurricane’, the DRDO said. Explaining this, the statement said that scramjet combustor incorporates an innovative flame stabilisation technique that holds continuous flame inside the combustor with air speed 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 scramjet engine configuration, it said. “The indigenous development of endothermic scramjet fuel, 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.”

Further, DRDO said that another key achievement is the development of state-of-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 melting point of steel has been jointly developed by DRDL and 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,” the statement added.