LAPCAT: High-Speed Propulsion Technology

In spring 2005, the EC kicked-off a 3 years long project called LAPCAT: Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies to initiate research on propulsion concepts for sustained hypersonic flight. The project, composed of a consortium of 12 partners from industry, research institutions and universities, is coordinated by ESA-ESTEC. The ambitious mission goal is to reduce travelling time of long-distance flights, e.g. Brussels to Sydney, to about 2 to 4 hours. Therefore advanced propulsion concepts and technologies need to be developed. This requires a new flight regime with Mach numbers ranging from 4 to 8. At these high speeds, classical turbo-jet engines need to be replaced by advanced airbreathing engines. Different combined cycles, i.e. TBCC and RBCC, are evaluated both on system and fundamental research level in combination with a corresponding vehicle system study. At the writing of this article, the project has passed its midterm review and its achievements up to this point will be highlighted here. Tendencies in aeronautics clearly show a continuous increase in air traffic. Based on IATA statistics th