Article
Article
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Ramjet engines
Article By:
Hewitt, Patrick W. Aerojet, Gainesville, Virginia.
Last reviewed:2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB110110
The ramjet engine relies on forward velocity to compress inlet air for the combustion process. In order to operate efficiently, a ramjet must be traveling at several times the speed of sound. At the present time, there is little demand for commercial or military transport in this flight regime, so the primary application for ramjets is in military single-use missiles. There are a number of systems around the world in various stages of development ranging from exploratory research to production. The scramjet engine is a close cousin, with the differentiating factor being the combustion process speed—subsonic for a ramjet and supersonic for a scramjet.
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
