The renewed interest in high-speed propulsion has led to increased activity in the development of the supersonic combustion ramjet engine for hypersonic flight applications. In the hypersonic regime the scramjet engine's specific thrust exceeds that of other propulsion systems. This book, written by a leading researcher, describes the processes and characteristics of the scramjet engine in a unified manner, reviewing both theoretical and experimental research. The focus is on the phenomena that dictate the thermo-aerodynamic processes encountered in the scramjet engine, including component analyses and flowpath considerations; fundamental theoretical topics related to internal flow with chemical reactions and non-equilibrium effects, high-temperature gas dynamics, and hypersonic effects are included. Cycle and component analyses are further described, followed by flowpath examination. Finally, the book reviews experimental and theoretical capabilities and describes ground testing facilities and computational fluid dynamics facilities developed for the study of time-accurate, high-temperature aerodynamics.

"...Segal has done a commendable job of providing a needed introductory book on the subject of scramjets. In addition to providing an excellent reference for the engineer beginning his/her work on scramjets, the book provides a good update on the improvements in the state of the art in the last 10 years. As such, it is deserving of a place on every scramjet engineers bookshelf, particularly those interested in details relating to supersonic combustion. " - AIAA JOURNAL