Kronach Lorin
Encyclopedia
The Kronach Lorin was a small ramjet
engine, for aircraft propulsion, that was statically tested in Vienna
during the latter stages of World War II
. It was intended to be used in the German interceptor planes
Lippisch P.13a
and Lippisch P.13b
.
It was initially proposed that a wire-mesh basket holding coal be mounted behind a nose air intake, protruding slightly into the airflow and ignited by a gas burner. Following wind-tunnel testing of the ramjet and the coal basket, modifications were incorporated to provide more efficient combustion. The coal was to take the form of 300 - 400 lb of small granules instead of irregular lumps, to produce a controlled and even burn, and the basket was altered to a mesh drum revolving on a vertical axis at 60 rpm. A jet of flame from tanks of bottled gas would fire into the basket once the P.13a had reached operating speed (above 320 km/h), whether by using a RATO unit or being towed. The air passing through the ramjet would take the gases from the burning coal towards the rear where they would mix under high pressure with clean air taken from a separate intake. The resulting mixture of gas would then be directed out through a rear nozzle to provide thrust. A burner and drum were built and tested successfully in Vienna by the design team before the end of the war. The thoretical flight time was 45 minutes.
Tested as a concept but never used in flight, the original idea was to produce an engine that could overcome fuel shortages and disruption, supplies of conventional fuels being in very short supply towards the end of World War 2.
Ramjet
A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a stovepipe jet, or an athodyd, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill...
engine, for aircraft propulsion, that was statically tested in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
during the latter stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was intended to be used in the German interceptor planes
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
Lippisch P.13a
Lippisch P.13a
The Lippisch P.13a was an experimental ramjet-powered delta wing interceptor aircraft designed in late 1944 by Dr. Alexander Lippisch for Nazi Germany...
and Lippisch P.13b
Lippisch P.13b
The Lippisch P.13b was a World War II German ramjet powered fighter aircraft designed by Alexander Lippisch. Designed in December 1944, the P.13b was a further development of the similarly delta-winged Lippisch P.13a, which was also a ramjet fighter. The cockpit was located in the nose of the...
.
It was initially proposed that a wire-mesh basket holding coal be mounted behind a nose air intake, protruding slightly into the airflow and ignited by a gas burner. Following wind-tunnel testing of the ramjet and the coal basket, modifications were incorporated to provide more efficient combustion. The coal was to take the form of 300 - 400 lb of small granules instead of irregular lumps, to produce a controlled and even burn, and the basket was altered to a mesh drum revolving on a vertical axis at 60 rpm. A jet of flame from tanks of bottled gas would fire into the basket once the P.13a had reached operating speed (above 320 km/h), whether by using a RATO unit or being towed. The air passing through the ramjet would take the gases from the burning coal towards the rear where they would mix under high pressure with clean air taken from a separate intake. The resulting mixture of gas would then be directed out through a rear nozzle to provide thrust. A burner and drum were built and tested successfully in Vienna by the design team before the end of the war. The thoretical flight time was 45 minutes.
Tested as a concept but never used in flight, the original idea was to produce an engine that could overcome fuel shortages and disruption, supplies of conventional fuels being in very short supply towards the end of World War 2.