Design of a Ramjet-Assisted Shell with Front Intake

Artillery shells are usually large-caliber projectiles fired by artillery guns. Present long-range artillery shells use techniques such as the base bleed system to reduce the drag coefficient of the shell, but could only increase the range of the shell by around 20–30%. This paper explores the feasibility of designing a ramjet-propelled artillery shell without altering the gun in its existing form. In this theoretical study, a ramjet propulsion system was attached to a 122 mm artillery shell to constitute a 155 mm artillery shell, an industry standard widely used by armies worldwide. The muzzle velocity of the shell provides sufficient velocity for the efficient operation of the ramjet engine. A front air intake portion is designed for the supersonic flow to ingest a high mass flow rate to the engine’s combustion chamber. Characteristics such as net thrust developed by the engine, combustion efficiency, and its changes to geometry modifications are discussed in this study.