SHCRAMJET

An alternate hypersonic air breathing propulsion concept to the scramjet is the shock-induced combustion ramjet (shcramjet) also called Oblique Detonation Wave Engine (ODWE), or simply referred to as Shock-Ramjet Engine) is a new concept in air breathing ramjet engines, proposed to be used for hypersonic, as well as, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) propulsion applications. While scramjet concepts rely on the diffusive burning of injected fuel, the shcramjet concept aims to avoid a long combustion chamber by injecting the fuel in the inlet of the vehicle and burning the fuel/air mixture through a shock wave. This reduces the weight of the engine (which directly leads to substantial reduction in overall vehicle weight of a hypersonic wave rider design) and takes advantage of the typically long inlets found at hyper velocities. Thus shcramjets are more efficient than scram jet. Also, the shcramjet is believed to have a better overall propulsive performance than the scramjet at higher Mach numbers, especially above Mach 12. Recent researches have stipulated that air breathing engines such as scramjets and shcramjets provide a more efficient high-speed vehicle propulsion system than rocket engines. These potential advantages of shcramjet have recently attracted substantial efforts into their research all around the world.
 
In order to establish the shcramjet as a viable concept, shcramjet research must seriously address
 
1) Achieving adequate mixing prior to the shock-induced combustion, and
2) The prevention of premature ignition in the inlet.
 
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References

1)  Wikipedia
​2) Thomas E. Schwartzentruber􀀀 and Jean P. Sislian†,University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Downsview, ON, Canada M3H 5T6 and Bernard Parent‡
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-744, Korea.