Turbo engine with cooler for cooling inlet air and turbine for expanding cryogenic fuel

Abstract

An air-breathing turbojet engine () for a hypersonic vehicle is shown. The engine comprises a pump for pumping a cryogenic fuel, an inlet () configured to compress inlet air by one or more shocks, a cooler () to cool the compressed inlet air using the cryogenic fuel, and a turbo-compressor () to compress the air further. A combustor () receives compressed cooled air from the turbo-compressor and a first portion of the cryogenic fuel for combustion. A first turbine () expands and is driven by combustion products, and a second turbine () expands and is driven by a second portion of the cryogenic fuel. The first turbine and the second turbine drive the turbo-compressor via a shaft. An afterburner () receives combustion products from the first turbine and the second portion of the cryogenic fuel from the second turbine for combustion therein.