[🇮🇳] India's Hypersonic propulsion- Tracking the development

[Krishna with Flute]

Date of Event: Jan 21, 2025

Source: https://youtu.be/dx5gGSVxmJQ?si=URkI1bKqTDXZkJ1X

In furtherance of India 's hypersonic propulsion development, India ground tested hypersonic scremjet engine for 120 second in a major break through.

 

[Sharma Ji]

Brahmos ka kya hai, SR-71 type deekhay hai

scramjet ?

 

[Krishna with Flute]

How DRDO’s recent scramjet test puts India firmly in the hypersonic weapons race​

DRDL recently demonstrated a successful ground test of the Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor for 120 seconds for the first time in India, achieving a major milestone.​

Written by Sushant Kulkarni
Pune | Updated: January 24, 2025 05:26 IST

Scramjets efficiently operate at hypersonic speeds and allow supersonic combustion. (Photo - PIB)
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently demonstrated the scramjet combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time in India. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has called it a crucial milestone in developing next-generation hypersonic missiles.

Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than ‘Mach 5’ – five times the speed of sound.

We look at the journey of developing hypersonic technologies in India, and its strategic significance amidst a global race among military powers to develop these weapons.

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The scramjet engine and its hypersonic abilities​

Ramjets are air-breathing jet engines that use the vehicle’s forward motion to compress inflowing air for combustion without a rotating compressor. The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber where it mixes with the hot compressed air and ignites. A ramjet-powered vehicle requires an assisted take-off like a rocket assist to accelerate it to a speed where it begins to produce thrust.


Ramjets work most efficiently at supersonic speeds around Mach 3, three times the speed of sound. However, the ramjet efficiency reduces once the vehicle reaches hypersonic speeds – above Mach 5.


This is where the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet engine comes in. It efficiently operates at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion.

The fundamental change in a scramjet is that the air does not slow down in its combustion chamber but stays supersonic throughout the engine. This makes the design, development and operation of the scramjet far more challenging.

The 120-second scramjet ground test​

The latest test, the date of which was not specified by the MoD, is a result of extensive work by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based facility of DRDO. The facility has been working towards developing a long-duration Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet-powered Hypersonic technology.

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DRDL recently demonstrated a successful ground test of the Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor for 120 seconds for the first time in India, achieving a major milestone. The MoD said that the ground test of the scramjet combustor showcased several notable achievements, demonstrating its potential for operational use in Hypersonic vehicles like successful ignition and stable combustion.

The scramjet combustor incorporates an innovative flame stabilisation technique that holds continuous flame inside the combustor with an air speed of over 1.5 kilometres per second. The DRDO scientists explored many novel and promising ignition and flame-holding techniques over multiple ground tests, before arriving at the Scramjet Engine configuration.

Regarding the specialised fuel for the system, the MoD credited an indigenous endothermic scramjet fuel jointly developed for the first time by DRDL and its industry partners for this breakthrough. The fuel offers dual benefits of significant cooling improvement and ease of ignition.


Another key achievement amidst the development of hypersonic technologies is the development of Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) which is designed to withstand extreme temperatures encountered during hypersonic flight. A new advanced ceramic TBC with high thermal resistance, capable of operating beyond the melting point of steel, has been jointly developed by DRDL and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Development of hypersonic technologies in India​

The DRDO, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and their partners in academia and industry have been working on hypersonic engines and other technologies required for hypersonic systems for over two decades.

An important development in ISRO’s Air Breathing Propulsion Project occurred on August 28, 2016, when a successful flight testing of its Scramjet was held. This first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine was successfully conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

Another experimental flight for the demonstration of Air Breathing Propulsion Technology on July 22, 2024. The propulsion systems were symmetrically mounted on either side of a Rohini Sounding rocket. ISRO’s focus is now on the Hypersonic Air Breathing Vehicle with Air Integration Systems (HAVA) project and the development of critical technologies.


ISRO also plans to use scramjet technology for its future vehicles as scramjet engines do not have to carry oxygen as oxidise. Thus rockets fitted with scramjet engines will be able to carry heavier satellites.

The DRDO started developing the hypersonic engine and its related systems in the early 2000s. On September 7, 2020, DRDO successfully demonstrated the hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the flight test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha.

Also Read | How ISRO’s maiden satellite docking exercise was aided by favourable space weather
In December 2020, the DRDO inaugurated the advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility in Hyderabad. It is a pressure vacuum-driven enclosed free jet facility that can simulate Mach 5 to 12 speeds. After the US and Russia, India became the third country in 2020 to have such a large facility in size and operating capability.

In February 2024, India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility was successfully established and tested by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK). This achievement put India in a handful of countries with this advanced hypersonic testing capability. The development of the facility was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure (FIST) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST).

The strategic significance of hypersonic weapons​

Hypersonic weapons have the potential to beat the existing Air Defence Systems of major military powers worldwide, and can deliver rapid, high-impact strikes. Several nations including the USA, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing Hypersonic technology and have demonstrated various levels of development.

In August 2021, China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, as reported by Financial Times in October of that year. The FT report cited five people familiar with the test who said the Chinese military launched a rocket carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle which flew through low-orbit space before cruising downward to its target. The test demonstrated an advanced space capability and caught US intelligence by surprise, the report had said.

The US is said to have conducted the first successful test of scramjet engines in 2002 followed by Russia, European Agency, Japan and then China. The reason for the race in the hypersonic domain is that they enhance the ability of the armed forces to negotiate even the most advanced missile defence systems and hit targets with minimal warning. Their manoeuvrability and very high speeds make interception extremely difficult, giving a decisive strategic advantage in offensive operations.

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Among various hypersonic technology projects that the DRDO has undertaken are Aero acoustic studies for hypersonic vehicles, Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) applications using artificial intelligence, Thermal barrier coatings, Reaction Control Systems for Hypersonic Glide Vehicles, and endothermic fuels for high-temperature applications.

How DRDO’s recent scramjet test puts India firmly in the hypersonic weapons race

DRDL recently demonstrated a successful ground test of the Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor for 120 seconds for the first time in India, achieving a major milestone.

indianexpress.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Engine of India's hypersonic missile of 2500 k.m range tested for 1000 second.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

India is getting ready for long range hypersonic test. ETELDHSCM. End to end test of Long duration hypersonic cruise missile.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

 

[Krishna with Flute]

India is undisputed Champion of hypersonic propulsion. India has about a dozen or more projects in hypersonic propulsion across full spectrum of hypersonic propulsion. Rocket propulsion, Hypersonic glide vehicle scremjet propulsion.

China had tested one HGV some time back which deviated from target just 32 k.m. They farted a lot
Now look, India came up with many many hypersonic missiles without any noice.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

1,500 KM At Mach 8 Speed To Dodge Radars: India Set To Test Advanced Hypersonic Missile Developed Under 'Project Vishnu'​

Story by The Daily Jagran
• 15h•
2 min read

1,500 KM At Mach 8 Speed To Dodge Radars: India Set To Test Advanced Hypersonic Missile Developed Under 'Project Vishnu'
In a major step to bolster the nation's defensive and offensive capabilities, India is set to test an advanced hypersonic missile - the Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM).

It would be the most sophisticated hypersonic missile developed entirely in India using domestic technology by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with private Indian defence firms.

Mach 8 speed, highest so far​

The missile has been developed under Project Vishnu. The missile will enhance India's capability to hit deep inside Pakistan and China with a maximum speed of Mach 8, which is about 11,000 km/hour. Mach 8 refers to a speed eight times that of sound.

A missile above Mach 5 is classified as hypersonic. At Mach 8, the ET-LDHCM will be able to dodge any radar and air defence systems

Once tested successfully and inducted into the armed forces' armoury, it will significantly bring a shift in the power balance in Asia and the subcontinent.

With a range of about 1,500 km, the ET-LDHCM can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads of up to 2,000 kg. As part of its indigenous technology, the missile is equipped with a scramjet engine, which draws air from the atmosphere for the combustion of fuel, thereby contributing to sustaining the hypersonic quality for a longer time.


Related video: BrahMos: India's supersonic edge in modern warfare (India Today)
https://www.msn.com/en-in/video/new...e-in-modern-warfare/vi-AA1EDFOI?ocid=msedgntp
View on Watch

The scramjet engine's 1,000-second ground test has already been completed by the DRDO.

Second hypersonic missile test within year​

The missile will traverse at low altitude, another key feature that will help in deceiving radars, and will have the ability of in-flight manoeuvres. Its heat-resistant metal body raises its threshold to 2,000 degrees Celsius.

This remarkable feat will come within a year of India's first successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile in November 2024, putting it in a group of nations possessing the advanced technology. The missile has a range of over 1,500 km and a top speed exceeding Mach 5.

MSN