In parallel with other developed countries, China is studying and mastering hypersonic technologies. Most projects of this kind are for military purposes and remain classified, but there are exceptions. Last year, the official demonstration of the experimental hypersonic missile Ling Yun-1 took place. The demonstration of a fundamentally new development, as expected, attracted attention.
Rocket premiere
Another Science and Technology Week was held in Beijing in May 2018. This event has already become a familiar platform for demonstrating new developments of the Chinese industry, incl. in the most advanced areas. Last year, the most interesting exhibits of the exhibition were related to rocketry.
At one of the stands of the exhibition there was a mock-up of a previously unknown rocket designated as "Ling Yun-1". Together with him, a stand was shown with several photographs and basic information about the project. It is curious that before the 2018 Science and Technology Week, only the project participants knew about the existence of this hypersonic missile. However, reports of the development of technologies used in the Ling Yun-1 project have appeared several times in the past.
The development of the new product was carried out by the College of Aerospace Science and Technology at the PLA Defense Science and Technology University. A number of other scientific and design organizations participated in the creation of the necessary technologies. During the exhibition, some technical details of the project and the main characteristics of the finished rocket were revealed.
Technical look
"Lin Yun-1" is an experimental rocket built on the basis of a hypersonic ramjet engine (scramjet engine) of its own Chinese design. The use of such a propulsion system determined the main features of the appearance of the rocket and provided the required characteristics.
The missile has an elongated cylindrical body with a pointed nose fairing. There are four air intakes at the rear of the fairing that protrude into the stream. In the tail part of the hull, thickenings are provided, on which trapezoidal stabilizers are installed. The rocket layout should be simple. Apparently, the main volume of the hull is occupied by the sustainer scramjet engine, and other compartments are given for control equipment and fuel.
In addition to the main scramjet engine, the rocket propulsion system includes a launch accelerator. With its help, the rocket is accelerated to the operating speeds of the main engine. At the exhibition "Lin Yun-1" was shown without this unit, in flight configuration.
Of all the technical characteristics of the rocket, only the flight speed was announced. Thanks to the scramjet, this parameter reaches 6100 km / h - five times the speed of sound.
In December 2015, the Ling Yun-1 rocket performed its first test flight. Its results have not been specified. Further developments around this item are also unknown. Perhaps, from the end of 2015 to May 2018, the experienced missiles made several more flights. Information on this matter has not yet appeared.
Technological foundation
According to official data, the Ling Yun-1 rocket was developed as a flying laboratory for testing new solutions and technologies that in the future may find application in promising projects. The developers have successfully solved a number of important technical problems and laid the technological foundation for new developments in the hypersonic sphere.
The Ling Yun-1 is a multipurpose hypersonic missile with a simplified design and, as a result, a reduced cost. It was also indicated that in terms of basic technologies and missions, the Chinese missile is similar to the HIFiRE product of a joint American-Australian development. It is expected that the developments on such a product will be useful in various fields.
Materials science issues in the context of the pilot project remain unsolved. Apparently, "Ling Yun-1" is built from heat-resistant alloys that can cope with the thermal and mechanical loads of hypersonic flight. However, the exact material is unknown.
The problem of thermal loads has found an interesting solution, directly related to the design of the propulsion system. Cooling of the rocket and engine structure is carried out by fuel, which is used as aviation kerosene. Tanks and fuel lines are constructed in such a way that the circulating fuel takes away excess heat from metal units.
Due to the use of kerosene, it is planned to solve another important issue concerning the further development of hypersonic technology. In terms of energy or structural cooling efficiency, kerosene is inferior to some promising fuels, but still has the advantage of high availability. Such fuel is available at any airfield in China, and in the future it will greatly simplify the operation of new missiles or other equipment.
In this regard, the development of a scramjet engine running on kerosene has a high priority, and it was such a unit that was created for the Lin Yun-1 flying laboratory. Moreover, it has already passed some tests and has probably performed well.
Applications
The Ling Yun-1 rocket is positioned exclusively as a flying laboratory and technology demonstrator. The introduction of new technical solutions in the practical field will be carried out with the help of other projects. Last year, Chinese experts revealed possible areas of application of new technologies.
The scramjet will be useful in the military sphere. With its help, it is possible to create a promising rocket armament with the highest flight speed, capable of overcoming the existing air defense. It should be noted that in foreign publications in the wake of the first demonstration of "Ling Yun-1", it was this application of new hypersonic technologies that was most actively discussed.
The new propulsion system can find application in civil aviation. In the future, it is possible to return to the concept of a high-speed passenger aircraft equipped with a scramjet engine or other installation with similar capabilities. In China, possible options for the appearance of a passenger aircraft with a speed of more than 8400 km / h are already being worked out. Such a car will be able to cover the distance from Beijing to New York in about two hours. The Ling Yun-1 laboratory can also contribute to such a project.
New scramjet engines with higher characteristics can also be useful for the development of rocket and space technologies. A reusable spacecraft with such engines is not easy to design, but it bodes well. This kind of technology can spur the development of science and space tourism.
From experiment to weapon
Most of the applications of Ling Yun-1 project technologies are still in the distant future. Of course, if it comes to the real development of a reusable space system or a passenger aircraft with a scramjet engine. The creation of new missile weapons looks much more realistic and useful from the point of view of practice.
In the short term, "Ling Yun-1" can become the basis for missile weapons of several types and for different purposes. The most effective examples can be guided hypersonic air-to-surface and surface-to-surface missiles. Such weapons will find application in tactical aviation, naval forces and coastal forces.
In the Ling Yun-1 form factor, you can create an aircraft missile to destroy ground or surface targets. A hypersonic anti-ship missile of this kind can enter the ammunition load of surface ships, submarines or coastal complexes. In all cases, the new weapon will have a high combat potential associated with hypersonic speed and kinetic energy. In the current environment, such weapons are of great interest to any army, and the PLA is no exception.
It is obvious that the technologies worked out with the help of the Ling Yun-1 demonstrator will first of all find application in the military sphere, and in the foreseeable future the Chinese army will receive a fundamentally new weapon. The use of hypersonic technologies in other areas is also possible, but such projects will not receive the same priority. In this respect, China will repeat the approaches of other countries, and will take all measures to obtain promising weapons as soon as possible.
