jcp@BRL-TGR.ARPA (07/05/84)
From: Joe Pistritto <jcp@BRL-TGR.ARPA> Assuming that you could maintain a population of free radicals thru means other than heating due to combustion, (Lasar dissociation was postulated), you also have to worry about the kinetic energy of the molecules being high enough to support the reaction. The SR-71A gets around this, (it has subsonic chamber flow, buts its the same idea from a kinetic energy standpoint), by using the movable shock cones on the front of the intakes to propagate a compression shock wave INTO the intake, thereby raising both pressure and temperature. Remember also that the SR-71 operates at in excess of Mach 3.0, and the combustion chamber flow NEVER goes Transonic. It may be possible to maintain this, (albeit at higher altitudes), for considerably higher Mach numbers... If you go high enough though, you run out of oxygen, which is another story... -JCP-