UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

Aerospace Engineering
PROGRAM CODE: AS – 201
Subject Name : AERO THERMODYNAMICS Subject Code : AST-218

UNIT - 3
BASICS OF PROPULSION AND HEAT TRANSFER
Classification of jet engines - basic jet propulsion arrangement – Engine station number, thrust equation –
Specific thrust, SFC, TSFC, specific impulse, actual cycles, isentropic efficiencies of jet engine components,
polytropic efficiency, conduction in parallel, radial and composite wall, basics of convective and radiation
heat transfer. (15 hours)

(Use of steam tables and Mollier charts are permitted)

UNIT - 3
BASICS OF PROPULSION AND HEAT TRANSFER
5.4 RAMJET ENGINE

Main Components of Ramjet Engine

(1) Convergent Divergent Diffuser

(2) Combustion Chamber
(3) Convergent Divergent Nozzle
(4) Central Body

Ramjet engine is used for Mach more than 3. Central body

with sharp nose facing towards incoming air flow is used to
createoblique shock followed by normal shock to bring air at subsonic level. It is well known
fact that flow behind normal shock is always subsonic. Again air compressed in C–D
diffuser adiabatically to obtain Mach upto 0.2. Compressed air at Mach 0.2 is delivered to
combustion chamberand mixed with fuel (A/F = 15/1) to increase energy of the gases. The
 UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING
Aerospace Engineering
PROGRAM CODE: AS – 201
Subject Name : AERO THERMODYNAMICS Subject Code : AST-218

temperature after combustion is about 2000 K. These hot gases are again expanded in the C – D
nozzle to generate high thrust. Ramjet works on Brayton Cycle.
Merits
(i) In the absence of any moving part ramjet is very simple compared to other engines.
(ii) Occasional maintenance required therefore engine is very cheap.
(iii) Variety of fuels can be used.
(iv) Maximum limit of temperature is about 2000 K compared to 1200 K in turbojet engines
(v) At high altitude and high speeds specific fuel consumption (SFC) is very economical.

Demerits
(i) The performance of ramjet severely depends upon design of diffuser.
(ii) A device is required for initial start of ramjet.
(iii) Prone to dissociation of combusted gases since temperature is almost 2000 K.