Reaction Engines and Rolls-Royce to develop supersonic and hypersonic systems

Reaction Engines is the company responsible for SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) which they describe as a new class of aerospace propulsion with the potential to provide air-breathing thrust from standstill on the runway to speeds above Mach 5 in the atmosphere. The scalability of SABRE allows for multiple applications whilst delivering the fuel efficiency of a jet engine with the high-speed capability of a rocket.

Reaction tests SABRE precooler at Mach 5 conditions

Reaction Engines’ proprietary pre-cooler technology is key to SABRE. As previously reported in The Engineer, the pre-cooler heat exchanger consists of thousands of thin-walled tubes through which coolant is passed, giving a high surface-to-weight ratio that quenches extreme airflow temperatures in a fraction of a second. This means that SABRE’s actual jet engine element receives the cool ambient air it needs to function efficiently.

As part of the agreement both companies will investigate applications for Reaction Engines’ thermal management technology within civil and defence aerospace gas turbine engines and hybrid-electric systems.