AFRL Commences GDE-2 Testing

  • Published
  • By Propulsion Directorate
  • AFRL/PR
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  AFRL engineers began testing the second-generation Ground Demonstration Engine, known as GDE-2, at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's 8 ft high-temperature tunnel (Hampton, Virginia). The GDE-2 is a hydrocarbon-fueled supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine featuring a single integrated flowpath, fuel control system, and closed-loop thermal management system. AFRL successfully completed the first test series, which included an assessment of the engine's inlet performance and operability as a function of cowl lip position at Mach 5. Engineers performed a tare run with the movable inlet flap positioned at various angles.

As testing continues, other test objectives will include assessment of a closed-loop hydrocarbon fuel system with a full-authority digital engine controller, assessment of the structural design, and verification of various design tools (e.g., aerothermal, structural, and controls). The test program is developing technologies for future hypersonic propulsion systems, which have application to rapid-response strike and space access missions. This test program is a collaborative effort between the Air Force, NASA, and GDE-2 builder Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.