Flow Visualization of a Rotating Detonation Engine

Abstract

The rotating detonation engine (RDE) is a propulsion system that obtains thrust using continuously existing detonation waves. A rotating detonation combustor (RDC) usually has an annular shape that allows detonation waves to propagate in the circumferential direction. In this study, we used a disk-shaped RDC with a combustion chamber with flat-plane glass walls to observe the structure of the phenomena. Self-luminescence, shadowgraphs and schlieren visualization experiments were performed and compared. Results revealed that detonation waves were propagating in a mixture layer of 3 gases, fuel, oxidizer and burned gas at 1,600 to 900 m/s; CJ velocity was 2,376m/s. Waves maintained a three-dimensional complicated wave shape in the disk-shaped combustion chamber with parallel-jet injectors.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 05, 2016
Accession Number
AD1044057

Entities

People

  • Toshiharu Mizukaki

Organizations

  • Tokai University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Cameras
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Chambers
  • Combustors
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Detonation Waves
  • Flow Rate
  • High Pressure
  • High Speed Cameras
  • Ignition
  • Light Sources
  • Mass Flow
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Rocket Propulsion.