There's a large discrepancy between the inlet air temperature (1000C vs 20C) in the article.
Somehow my sense for violation of the laws of thermodynamics is tingling.
There's a large discrepancy between the inlet air temperature (1000C vs 20C) in the article.
Somehow my sense for violation of the laws of thermodynamics is tingling.
http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/sabre_howworks.html
My reading of their explanation is that in a full system they would "pre-burn" some of the hydrogen and oxygen also used to power the main rocket motor to power the cooling of the helium that then cools the intake air.
[NB I have no idea whether that would actually work or not - just trying to interpret what their own explanation is!]
There is no nitrogen in the system (not as consumable, anyway). Shoddy BBC reporting, as usual.
The heat exchangers use chilled hydrogen fuel they have to take up anyway, before it is burned in the rocket motor.
That makes a ton more sense.
The design for a flight-capable engine is supposed to dump the waste heat into the fuel I believe.