Rim-Rotor Rotary Ramjet Engine, Part 1: Structural Design and Experimental Validation

The rim-rotor rotary-ramjet engine (R4E) is a new propulsion-system design with the potential to significantly improve power density and reduce complexity of conventional gas turbines, thus making it an interesting alternative for future transportation and stationary power systems. This paper presents the structural design and an experiment validation of a proof-of-concept prototype that can sustain 560m/s560m/s (200 krpm) and transient combustion, which is initiated by an integrated-ignition system. A high-strength carbon-polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite winding is used around the ramjet blades to support the high gg load and includes the flame holder. A 6.5-cm prototype is spun up to 188 krpm at rim temperature, reaching 473°K for short periods without failure or rotordynamics issues. Several ignitions and high-temperature combustion of 1 s were achieved at 80,000 rpm. High-combustion temperature for 1 s led to the failure of turbine blades. Total and partial failures of the rim rotor demonstrated the concept safety, as all projections were contained without important damage. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]