18275187. PHONONIC SUBSURFACE FOR CONTROLLING HYPERSONIC FLOW simplified abstract (THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE)

PHONONIC SUBSURFACE FOR CONTROLLING HYPERSONIC FLOW

Organization Name

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE

Inventor(s)

Mahmoud I. Hussein of Boulder CO (US)

PHONONIC SUBSURFACE FOR CONTROLLING HYPERSONIC FLOW - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18275187 titled 'PHONONIC SUBSURFACE FOR CONTROLLING HYPERSONIC FLOW

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a phononic material that can reduce instabilities in hypersonic flows by utilizing phase-shifting properties of a subsurface feature mechanically connected to an interface surface.

• The interface surface of the phononic material vibrates in response to pressure frequency components in a hypersonic flow.
• The subsurface feature reflects and phase-shifts the frequency components, generating phase-shifted frequency components.
• The phase-shifted frequency components interfere with the original frequency components, reducing instabilities in the hypersonic flow.

Potential Applications

The technology could be applied in aerospace engineering for improving the stability and performance of hypersonic vehicles.

Problems Solved

This technology addresses the issue of instabilities in hypersonic flows, which can affect the efficiency and safety of hypersonic vehicles.

Benefits

The phononic material can enhance the aerodynamic performance of hypersonic vehicles, leading to improved fuel efficiency and reduced drag.

Potential Commercial Applications

"Enhancing Hypersonic Flow Stability with Phononic Material Technology"

Possible Prior Art

There may be prior art related to using phononic materials for controlling vibrations in different applications, such as in structural engineering or acoustics.

Unanswered Questions

How scalable is the implementation of this technology for large-scale hypersonic vehicles?

The scalability of the phononic material for commercial applications on a larger scale is not addressed in the abstract. Further research and testing may be needed to determine the feasibility of implementing this technology in real-world scenarios.

What are the potential limitations or drawbacks of using this phononic material in hypersonic flows?

The abstract does not mention any potential limitations or drawbacks of the technology. It would be essential to investigate any adverse effects or challenges that may arise from integrating this material into hypersonic vehicle designs.

Original Abstract Submitted

A phononic material includes an interface surface and a subsurface feature mechanically connected to the interface surface. When a hypersonic flow having at least one instability flows past the interface surface, the interface surface vibrates in response to one or more frequency components of the pressure. The interface surface couples each frequency component into the subsurface feature, which at least partially reflects and phase-shifts each frequency component to generate a corresponding phase-shifted frequency component. The interface surface vibrates in response to the phase-shifted frequency component, thereby coupling the phase-shifted frequency component back into the hypersonic flow. The phase-shifted frequency component interferes with said each frequency component within the hypersonic flow. The subsurface feature may perform phase-shifting such that the phase-shifted frequency component destructively interferes with said each frequency component, thereby reducing the at least one instability.