Hypersonic means that the speed of an object exceeds 5 times the speed of sound (about 6000 kilometers per hour). There are three kinds of hypersonic vehicles: hypersonic cruise missiles, hypersonic vehicles and space shuttles. Their hypersonic ramjet engine is considered as the "third power revolution" after propeller and jet propulsion. Countries all over the world began to spend a lot of manpower and material resources to study the power system of this aircraft-scramjet, but so far, only China, the United States and Russia have carried out a large number of system tests. It is very difficult for scramjet to organize combustion, ignition, efficient and stable combustion and thermal protection in supersonic airflow, and it faces great technical challenges. In fact, the United States did not break through the key technology until 20 13, and it took more than 60 years.
The picture above shows the "Fast Eagle" hypersonic vehicle developed by the United States at the beginning of this century. The goal is to develop hypersonic missiles with Mach number of 6 to 8 per hour. "Fast Eagle" adopts an axisymmetric aerodynamic layout and a scramjet with two combustion chambers. However, many flight tests of this missile test vehicle failed, and the United States was forced to stop the project on 20 1 1. However, according to public media reports, China Air-to-Air Missile Research Institute, a subsidiary of AVIC, has conducted similar tests and achieved success. It is also the world's first axisymmetric hypersonic missile project flying at a speed above Mach 6.
Recently, some Russian media claimed that the news about the test of so-called hypersonic aircraft or other hypersonic vehicles conducted by China in recent months was unconvincing. According to Russian experts, so far, the research of hypersonic vehicles in the United States and Russia is still in the stage of experimental vehicles. Even though China has made rapid progress in the research of hypersonic vehicle and its power system in recent years, it is impossible to surpass the United States and Russia. To put it simply, what the United States and Russia have failed to do is not to believe that China can work in two aviation units. Let's watch.
However, on June 65438+1 October1day, the development of hypersonic vehicle research in China was exposed for the first time through an article entitled "The Deeds of Winners of the Third Feng Ru Aviation Science and Technology Elite Award". According to the article, "Professor Wang Zhenguo from National University of Defense Technology led the team to start the research on supersonic combustion mechanism. After nearly 20 years of exploration, all key technologies have been broken through. The world's first aviation kerosene regenerative cooling scramjet engine (American X-5 1A flight engine uses special endothermic hydrocarbon fuel, which needs special treatment and is not practical) has been successfully developed and passed the long-distance hot test. The successful development of this type of engine indicates that China has the ability to independently develop scramjet engines. "
The article goes on to say, "The autonomous flight test aims to verify the design and ground test method of hypersonic vehicle and scramjet under real flight conditions, which is the only way to break through the hypersonic vehicle technology in an all-round way and is extremely difficult in technology. Only the United States has conducted 10 autonomous flight tests in recent years, of which 6 failed. As the chief commander and chief designer, Wang Zhenguo led the team for more than ten years, from concept proposal, scheme design to system integration, successfully developed the national major project ×× hypersonic vehicle, and organized flight tests, making China the second country after the United States to realize autonomous flight of hypersonic vehicle powered by scramjet. " .