Hyscram Or hypersonic hybrid superconducting combustion ram accelerated magnetohydrodynamic

The US Navy and a California startup called HyperSpace propulsion is working on an engine that can run from a standing start to speeds as high as Mach 8. The hybrid engine uses a turbofan with a magnetically levitated fans and an arrangement of axial super conducting power generators. Each rotating stage will be held in place with these magnets resulting is what the article describes as a "air bearing" and requires no oil or gearing. A 4 ring magneto hyrdodynamic "electromagnetic augmentatator" combined with a plasma combustor that generates ionized flow coupled with the exhaust gases

A spike similar to that found on the J-58 will at higher Mach divert air to the dual mode ramjet/Scramjet portion.

The turbine will drive the craft to Mach5-6 then the Scramjet will take over to Mach 8. To be honest i understood about 15% of what they are saying but it seems an exciting development.

Alas the bulk of the article is behinds a paywall unless you subscribe to AWST

HyperSpace claims several advantages for the superconducting electric hybrid TBCC versus a conventional turbine-based design because the turbine core is completely integrated and embedded inside the ramjet/scramjet engines with a common central flow path. The design has the theoretical capability of operating to a much higher takeover Mach number before transitioning from turbine to ram/scramjet mode.

The company estimates the turbine will run up to Mach 5-6 before transitioning to scramjet power, which will be used to operate to Mach 8-plus. “Our turbine is operable at very high Mach numbers because it is shaftless-electric and all the loads of the rotating machinery are carried in the exoskeleton of the engine structure,” Lugg says. “We are operating at rpms and loads that were previously impossible until we came along with this concept.”

The outer casing for the turbine engine also forms the inner casing of the double-walled ram/scramjet ducting. The space between the double walls is used to hold the JP7/8 subsystem for fueling and cooling as well as to provide space for the electromagnetic power systems and controls. The company says the common airflow path through the center of the powerplant eliminates the need for completely separate turbine and ramjet/scramjet engines. “Ours is all one mass flow, so we are saving volume, weight and complexity. Plus, we don’t have the issue of cocooning a hot turbine,” he adds.aviationweek.com...

a reply to: FredT

Very cool, I think this gentleman explains it more clearly.

a reply to: FredT

There have long been rumors of interesting things involving electromagnets and jet engines.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

There have long been rumors of interesting things involving electromagnets and jet engines.

Yeah, and this one looks really interesting. Bearingless turbines? Magnetohydrodynamic whatever? Last time I heard that I was reading "Hunt For Red October"

a reply to: FredT

This was all the way back in 2007-

A concept explored by the power generation industry 50 years ago is being dusted off by NASA as a possible way of enabling jet engines to operate to higher speeds, to power hypersonic vehicles and reusable spaceplanes.

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy bypass engine would electromagnetically extract energy from air entering the inlet, slowing the flow and allowing the turbine engine to operate to a higher Mach number.

The electricity generated could be used to power aircraft systems or to electromagnetically accelerate the engine's exhaust flow, increasing thrust. One concept developed in Russia, called Ajaxa, was outlined in a paper in 2001 by its authors Claudio Bruno at the University of Rome and Paul Czysz at St Louise University, Missouri.

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah the article pointed to this as well

The company’s commercial designs have most recently focused on a Mach 6.65 airliner concept sized for 200 passengers and a range of 10,600 nm. Provisionally targeted at entry into service in the early 2030s, the design is configured with four 190,000-lb.-thrust commercial derivative Hyscram hybrid turbofan ram/scramjet MHD engines, which share some of the same fundamental design features of the military TBCC concept.

190000 lb thrust???? Holy cow. I mean can you imagine that the military TBCC concept could push that number even higher? The engines may be ready at some point but managing the thermal environment for the air frame is going to be challenging......

a reply to: FredT

In theory you could see the F-22 and F-35 at Mach 3 range speeds, using standard turbofan engines, with this system. It could revolutionize lower Mach number aircraft as well as hypersonics, if you're willing to accept the penalties.

Biggest problem with MHD propulsion seems to be high temperature erosion of the magnetic coils.

Any fluctuations in the magnetic field can allow the super-heated hypersonic exhaust to scour the acceleration chamber walls.

In a very short period of time...No Bueno!

A small LTA firm I know of has been experimenting with MHD for a few years now, smaller scale of course.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Who would have thought the use of electromagnetic energy would have some usefulness in engine tech?

Makes me wonder if the US v China conundrum will drive somewhat of a breakout in electromagnetically driven propulsion technology.

Why this is Navy interesting of this technology and not the USAF ?

Good for Pew Pews...

a reply to: FredT

This is not a new concept, far from it.

The CEO of HyperSpace, Richard H. Lugg was pushing this concept almost a decade ago, just on the civilian side with a project called SonicStar from a company called HyperMach. Nothing came of it.

newatlas.com...
www.linkedin.com...
patents.justia.com...

Too much money being thrown around in the hypersonic realm these days, that's all i say about this project.

It seems like all this information you put out there should be classified.

originally posted by: choomsuba
It seems like all this information you put out there should be classified.

Not really. The actual challenge is not the concept but the realization. Hypersonics is hard. Personally, I am doubtful about this project, too many novel and unproven design features.

a reply to: FredT

ive been yelling about this stuff forever

MHD drives can create ALOT of power for things life RF antenna or other very power thirsty items


the Russian ajax



highly luminous exhaust ..... wonder what that sounds like

a reply to: penroc3

Yet, the ajax never flew...

a reply to: anzha

and yet the tech is still being explored according to these new engines


i was using the Ajax as an example.

now that Russia is no longer the USSR and have a better cash flow i HIGHLY doubt they are just going to let avenues of interesting research not be looked back into.

MHD tech is just a great way of extracting energy out of something your using anyway.

all this talk of if we only had a potent power source for DEW's or powering systems on the aircraft to protect it from heat.


I honestly forgot what SLICBM used an extendable arm on the blunt tip of the missile to create an artificial bow-shock to help it fly.

The idea of using something to make artificial bow shocks is nothing new but using a plasma 'ball' is an elegant solution for hypersonic aircraft to create the bow shock because it cant be burned away by friction heat, i guess if you lose power or it arc's back you might have some issues with it eating your aircraft away, but you cant lose power as long as the aircraft is moving and ironically the faster you go the more power you get....or if you inject something into the air stream to help with conductivity...

a reply to: penroc3

Perhaps. Perhaps not. The navy has had some WTFisms in its science investments as of late. re: the whackjob with the patents that do not work.

As mightmight stated, this guy has been peddling this stuff for a while and had no traction. Perhaps its a case like the reaction engines guys where they get almost no funding for a very long time and will slowly, doggedly get it done. OTOH, anyone happen to remember Moller?

OK, so somebody invented an Electro-Magneto-Turbo-Ramjet.

That's nice, but I'm not going to get excited until I see a Hydro-Dynamo-Bio-Nano-Robo-Electro-Magneto-Turbo-Ramjet.

With Plasmonic Artificial Intelligence.

I have no idea what such a device would do or how it would work, but I figure it's inevitable and it has to be better.

a reply to: FredT

a reply to: anzha

the ufo submissions were crazy, im still not sure what the navy was thinking, i don't know alot about patent law.


i think that real MHD engines are in use in the black world and most of the public data on the topic and its uses are purposely obscured or buried.

i know the whole plasma topic here is kind of like the saying beating a dead horse.


but observations of unknown high speed aircraft that have highly luminous exhaust that is oddly colored. the color green could be from some copper based additive or just the ions in the air being charged to particular energy levels so they emit green light until the charge in the air dissipates.

a high speed aircraft using a MHD type device would put alllot of charge into the air so it would light up light a light bulb so it better be fast