12 NOV. 2008
publication date
1603
Views
LAPCAT II is a logical follow-up of the previous, co-funded EC-project LAPCAT I, whose objective was to reduce the duration of antipodal flights (that is, flights between two diametrically opposite points on the globe) to less than two to four hours. Among the several vehicles studied, only two novel concepts – for Mach five and Mach eight cruise flight – are retained in the new program. The project, co-funded by the European Commission under the theme of air transportation, will last for four years and involves 16 partners representing six European member states.
Media modal
Lapcat_Project_Animation_1.jpg
Starting from the available Mach five vehicle and its related, pre-cooled turboramjet developed in LAPCAT I, the assumed performance figures of various components will now be assessed in more detail, i.e.:
intake design and performance
environmentally friendly design of combustor
nozzle design and performance
structural analysis
This will lead to an updated overall Mach five vehicle performance, allowing the definition of a detailed development roadmap.
Media modal
Lapcat_Project_Animation_2.jpg
Although the cruise flight of the Mach eight vehicle – based on a scramjet – seems feasible, the fuel consumption during acceleration requires a large fuel fraction, severely affecting gross take-off weight. Initial studies of a first stage rocket ejector concept gave poor range with large take-off mass. Integrated design of airframe and engine throughout the whole trajectory is now the prime focus to guarantee an optimal design in terms of range and flight time. Different concepts will be re-assessed and optimised to achieve a final Mach eight concept. Both turbo- and rocket-based engines will be investigated to ensure better performance and fuel consumption during acceleration and cruise. Important points that will be addressed to realise these goals are:
proper development and validation of engine-airframe integration tools and methodology
high-speed airbreathing cycle analysis
off- and on-design behaviour of engine and airframe
dedicated experiments to evaluate the design at various operation points in the fields of aerothermodynamics, intakes, combustion and nozzles
Media modal
Lapcat_Project_Animation_4.jpg
High-Speed windtunnels for aerodynamic and combustion experiments
H2K blow down facility at DLR-Cologne Courtesy DLR
HEG shock tube tunnel at DLR-Göttingen Courtesy DLR
ITLR connected tube at University of Stuttgart Courtesy ITLR
LAERTE connected tube at Onera-Palaiseau. Courtesy Onera
F4 Blow down tunnel at Onera- La Fauga Courtesy Onera
Media modal
Lapcat_Project_Animation_5.jpg
The dedicated experiments will form the basis for validation of advanced design tools. These numerical tools will give better confidence when proposing a fully integrated vehicle that complies with the mission goals. In particular, nose-to-tail computations should give the simultaneous solution and interaction of an operational propulsion unit and the vehicle aerodynamics. A roadmap towards the final vehicle design will be laid out with a step-wise approach to future developments.
Finally, for vehicles flying at high speeds and high altitudes, limited knowledge is available on their environmental impact. The influence of NOx and H2O on the ozone layer and the formation of contrails with its direct and indirect effects will be investigated for both the Mach five and Mach eight vehicles.
Media modal
Facts and figures
LAPCAT II is a collaboratiove project for small or medium scale focused research projects through the 7th Framework under Theme 7: Transport.
LAPCAT II Partner login
Achievements LAPCAT I
General outlineThe baseline mission requirement of LAPCAT is to reduce travelling time of long-distance flights, e.g. Brussels to Sydney, in about 2 to 4 hours. This requires a new flight regime with Mach numbers ranging from 4 to 8. At these high speeds, classical turbo-jet engines need to be replaced by advanced airbreathing propulsion concepts and hence related technologies need to be developed.Key objectives are the definition and evaluation of different propulsion cycles and concepts, enhancement of integrated engine/aircraft performance, mass-efficient turbines and heat exchangers and finally high-pressure & supersonic combustion experiments and modelling.Though the project is mainly technology driven, operational conditions and constraints are defined by several conceptual vehicle designs of which three are highlighted in our Experiments and modelling webpage which can be seen from the right hand navigation bar.
Share this page
stay updated
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news, mission updates, and exclusive insights directly in your inbox. Be the first to know about our upcoming projects and breakthroughs.