Having Nuclear Power does not mean that there is no need for an engine. It is just that the subsequent Turbofan Engine will be redesigned. It is no longer fuel that provides power for combustion, but Nuclear Reactor.
This reactor is naturally Fission Reactor.
"What advantages does it have? If it is refueled once, how long can it fly?" Jiang Yan Hai asked the key question.
Although everyone knows that Nuclear Power uses a very small amount of fuel, this Nuclear Power itself is an extremely small reactor, which means that its key core cannot hold too much nuclear fuel even if it is allowed to be released.
"Its flight range is about 100,000 kilometers after refueling once." Professor Hu gave a specific number.
Jiang Yan Hai took a deep breath, 100,000 kilometers, this number is already extremely terrifying, and a circle around the equator of the earth is only more than 40,000 kilometers. That means it could go around the Earth twice and more.
This is no longer a matter of combat radius, which means that it can even fly without changing fuel for a long time. As long as the life of its tail Turbofan Engine can last, it can even stay in the sky.
"Can it go into space?" Jiang Yan Hai mentally re-estimated its data. Whether it can go into space mainly depends on its air utilization rate. If the utilization rate is high enough, although the air will become very thin after the aircraft leaves the ground at a certain height, at that time, as long as the power is strong enough, flying out should not be a big problem.
"It is difficult at the moment, but this is our goal. However, according to our current data, although it cannot fly into space, its maximum flying altitude can reach an ultra-high altitude of about 60,000 meters."
60,000 meters, that is, 60 kilometers from the ground. This height has exceeded the flying height of all existing fighter jets. Even some intercontinental missiles are capable of flying above this height. Ordinary interceptor missiles, Air Defense Missile, and air-to-air missiles do not have this capability.
Jiang Yan Hai made an estimate in his mind. In fact, if all the parameters are corrected according to Data Analysis System, it can barely fly into space. However, after flying into space, its internal fuel will be basically exhausted, so landing must be a problem.
But this is really a huge improvement compared to previous aircraft.
"What's the speed of the plane?"
"If the new Composite Materials is used, it can reach a cruising speed of Mach 4.5 and a maximum speed of Mach 6, but it needs to be reached at ultra-high altitude." Professor Hu gave a number.
"Have you found the materials to solve the thermal barrier?" Jiang Yan Hai was really surprised this time. Human fighter jets have never been able to break through Mach 3 or above. Before the Phantom came out, it was because the thermal barrier was not so easy to solve.
When the Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft broke through Mach 3, the overall length of its aircraft could even increase by more than 20 centimeters. You can imagine how terrifying the thermal expansion and contraction of materials are.
The Phantom solves this problem because the expensive ultra-high temperature-resistant materials on its fuselage have a certain level of resistance to high temperatures. This allows it to control the thermal expansion of the fuselage within a certain range after reaching such a high cruising speed, and the parts will not deform too much.
But after exceeding Mach 3, it can be said that the speed increases by Mach 1, and the temperature increases even more dramatically. At least the original material of the Phantom cannot withstand the cruising speed of Mach 4.5 and the ultimate speed of Mach 6.
"Found it. When it comes to this, I have to say, Xiao Jiang, you are the one." Professor Hu gave Jiang Yan Hai a thumbs up.
Several other professors also looked at Jiang Yanhai with admiration, "We have actually discovered this material before. It is a composite material made by combining new materials from Daqin and Red Star. We found that it has extremely high temperature resistance, and its thermal expansion coefficient is the same as that of some ceramic materials, which is infinitely close to zero."
"Of course, these two points are not enough. It must also have other characteristics that can become a fighter material."
"However, we have never discovered the most suitable formula because there are too many new materials. New materials are discovered almost every day. The data recorded by the Materials Research Institute in this regard, the new data in the past month exceeds the data they added in the previous year."
"If it wasn't Pangu System, it would have taken us who knows how long it would have taken us to find it."
"Because of the existence of Pangu System, we have solved the problem of this new material in a very short time, so we have these demonstrative next-generation Phantom upgrade plans." Professor Hu said.
Jiang Yan Hai smiled and shook his head and said, "I only provided the tools, but it is you who actually completed it. Even without us, you will still complete it in a short time."
"However, I heard Professor Liu say before I came that you have other upgrade plans?" Jiang Yan Hai was a little curious.
There are two upgrade plans for the next-generation Phantom, which can be said to be a choice between the two.
But before coming here, Jiang Yan Hai had no idea about either plan.
"Yes, the second plan is still based on conventional power." Professor Hu nodded, "But thanks to the application of new materials, we have completely upgraded Phantom Engine."
"The main thing is to improve its fuel efficiency. Without changing the Phantom's current fuel load, its range has been increased by more than 50%, and the turbojet efficiency is higher, and the power output in a short time is higher. In addition, we have also overpressurized its compression chamber." Professor Hu said quickly.
"Now it's smaller, the nozzle is smaller, but it's more powerful."
Jiang Yan Hai immediately gave Professor Hu and the others a thumbs up. Generally speaking, Fighter Jet Engine, when the gas speed through the tail nozzle is constant, the larger the diameter of the nozzle, the greater the thrust.
Of course, the nozzle diameter can be adjusted. Different flight postures use different nozzle diameters, and now they have actually made a smaller nozzle diameter in this regard.
In fact, to put it bluntly, the reason why we can achieve this is that our materials used to not pass the test, but now our materials pass the test, and there is even a huge redundancy in material performance, so we can squeeze the ultimate performance of the material.
Compressing the air harder, even if the diameter of the nozzle is reduced, the jet speed is faster than before! The thrust will naturally increase as well!
And the basis of all this is materials... without strong enough materials, nothing can be made.