Gilles Uhrig

Composite Technologies Development Status for Scramjet

Since 1998 Snecma Propulsion Solide is working to demonstrate the interest of using of carbon – carbon and carbon – silicon carbide composite materials in a scramjet combustor. Through the cooperation between UTC and SNECMA, weight savings and increased thermal margins relative to an all – metallic scramjet were shown by using uncooled part in carbon-silicon carbide composite material. Moreover a USAF-DGA cooperation, the AC3P (Advanced Composite Combustion Chamber Program), funded the development of a C/SiC actively cooled technology as a potential future replacement for the current HySET metallic design. Several panels were manufactured and tested in parallel to a material and structural development study. Initial tests in the USAF AFRL radiant facility de monstrated a SNECMA manufactured totally leak-free composite heat exchanger in relevant conditions. Since then, other tests were performed in ONERA French facilities on this technology. This paper presents the development status of scramjet applicable technologies at SNECMA and the foreseen future developments.