A model scramjet engine was tested at the NAJLKRC RamJet engine Test Facility (RJTF). The engine had an ignition system consisting of plasma torches, pilot fuel injectors, and backward-facing steps upstream of the main fuel injectors. Tests were conducted under conditions of flight Mach numbers of 4, 6 and 8 at altitudes of 15, 25 and 35 km respectively. Tests results showed that the ignition system had sufficient ability to attain intensive combustion in the engine in the Mach 4 condition, whereas it lacked the ability in the Mach 6 and 8 conditions. The ignition system was thus modified and then tested at the Mach 6 condition. At first, a recess with auxiliary injectors was placed downstream of the step to obtain shorter ignition delay and longer residence time than those in the step-base region. Oxygen was injected through the auxiliary injectors to imprtve the fuel-rich condition within the recess. As a result, intensive pilot flame was attained, but ignition of the main fuel occurred only under limited conditions. To attain higher pressure level around the ignition system, the recess was removed and a short strut was mounted on the top-wall. Consequenty, intensive combustion of the main fuel was achieved over a wide range of operational conditions. Using an ignition parameter, defined as pressure-length products divided by velocity (ph/u), the ignition limit was expressed on a temperature-ignition parameter diagram. Introduction The supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) is expected to be the most effective propulsion system for the Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) transportation vehicles and hypersonic transportation vehicles of the next generation. Many studies on scrramjet components such as inlet, combustor and nozzle, have been carried out to obtain a better understanding of the performances of the individual components. *~4 However, it is expected that intensive interactions among these components will occur in real engines. For example, a rise in pressure due to combustion causes separation which propagates upstream * Researcher, Ramjet Combustion Section, Ramjet Propulsion Division. Member ALAA. t Researcher, Ramjet Control Systems Section, Ramjet Propulsion Division. $ Researcher, Ramjet Performance Section, Ramjet Propulsion Division. § Project Engineer, Engineering Section, Engine & Control Equipment Department. Copyright © 1996 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Inc. All right reserved. into the inlet and changes the.inlet back pressure, which may result in an unstart condition in the inlet. In the case of such interactions, the total performance of the engine cannot be evaluated based on a linear combination of the obtained performances of the individual components. Thus, tests of the models of whole engine are necessary to elucidate the interactions among these components and the overall performance of the whole engine. Testing of the models of whole engine requires rather big and expensive wind-tunnel facilities. Thus, only a limited number of results on whole engine tests have been reported.^ Using the test facility (denoted as RamJet engine Test Facility, RJTF) at NAL-KRC, we have conducted tests of a model scramjet engine in various flight conditions. In flight conditions of Mach 4, intensive combustion was attained with an installed ignition system.^ However, in flight conditions of Mach 6 and 8, it was found that intensive combustion were not attained in the model with the original ignition system.8>9 To improve ignition ability, supplemental equipment such as a recess with auxiliary injectorsS) or a short strut *-" were installed in the model engine. In the present paper, ignition characteristics of the engine with and without these modifications are reported. Test Facility and Engine Model Test facility The RJTF was designed to ssimulate flight conditions of M4, M6, and M8. The facility is equipped with two heating systems to obtain high enthalpy flow. A storage air heater (denoted as SAB) is used to obtain pure hot air for the M4, M6, and M8 flight condition tests. Two types of vitiation air heaters (VAH) fueled by H2 are used to obtain vitiated hot air for the M6 and M8 flight condition tests, respectively. The M6 flight conditions are achieved with the SAH alone or the VAH alone (denoted as M6S and M6V conditions, respectively), whereas the M8 conditions are achieved with a combination of the SAH and the VAH. Table 1 shows the operational conditions of the RJTF and the simulated flight conditions. The high enthalpy flow obtained at the heaters was accelerated through rectangular nozzles. The exit cross section of the every nozzle was 510 mm x 510 mm. The engine model was set in a low pressure chamber which was connected to a steam ejector system to reduce the pressure within the chamber for simulation of high altitude atmosphere. The engine model was located in such way that it breathed in the boundary layer in the facility nozzle. The displacement thickness of the boundary layer was about 15 mm. (See reference 12 for detailed information on the RJTF.) Table 1 Nominal conditions of RJTF Simulated flight conditions