NEWS  – DRDO achieves a significant milestone in hypersonic missile development with successful scramjet engine testing.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ground test conducted for 120 seconds by DRDL (Hyderabad)

Understanding Scramjet Technology:

• Definition: Advanced jet engines enabling supersonic combustion.
• Necessity: Essential for hypersonic missiles (speeds > Mach 5 or > 5,400 km/hr).
• Strategic Importance: Bypassing existing air defense systems for rapid, high-impact strikes.
• Global Pursuit: Actively pursued by nations including USA, Russia, India, and China.
• Key Feature: Air-breathing engines sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without moving parts.

Key Achievements of the Ground Test:

• Successful Ignition and Stable Combustion: Demonstrates potential for operational use in hypersonic vehicles.
• Innovative Flame Stabilization: Maintaining continuous flame within the combustor at airspeeds > 1.5 km/second (analogous to “keeping a candle lit in a hurricane”).
• Years of Research: Achieved through extensive research on various ignition and flame-holding techniques.

Development of Scramjet Fuel:

• Joint Development: First time in India, jointly developed by DRDL and industry.
• Dual Benefits:
  • Significant cooling improvement.
  • Ease of ignition.
• Special Manufacturing Process: Developed to meet stringent DRDL fuel requirements on an industrial scale.

Development of Thermal Barrier Coating:

• Collaboration: Developed in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology.
• Purpose: Withstand extreme temperatures during hypersonic flight.
• Properties:
  • High thermal resistance.
  • Operates beyond the melting point of steel.
• Application: Applied inside the scramjet engine using special deposition methods for enhanced performance and longevity.