In missile tech milestone, Scramjet combustor achieves run time of over 12 minutes, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• DRDO successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor.
• The test achieved a run time of over 12 minutes at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility.
• The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad conducted the test.
• An earlier subscale test was conducted on April 25 last year for more than 1000 seconds.
• Hypersonic cruise missiles can exceed five times the speed of sound or over 6,100 kilometers per hour.

Detailed Insights:

• This test marks a significant advancement in developing hypersonic missile technology, placing India among leaders in aerospace capabilities.
• The air-breathing engine uses supersonic combustion to achieve and sustain long-duration flight at hypersonic speeds.
• The SCPT facility validated the design of the advanced scramjet combustor and the capabilities of the test facility.
• In January last year, DRDL demonstrated an Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Scramjet Combustor: An engine that uses supersonic airflow for combustion, enabling hypersonic speeds.
• Hypersonic Speed: Speed exceeding five times the speed of sound (Mach 5 or above).
• Supersonic Combustion: Burning fuel in air that is moving faster than the speed of sound.