Design, Characterization, and Performance of a Valveless Pulse Detonation Engine

Abstract

Current interest in developing a low cost, less complex tactical missile propulsion system that operates on readily available liquid fuels and can operate from low subsonic to a flight Mach number of 5 is driving research on pulse detonation engines. This research program involved the design, construction, and testing of a valveless Pulse Detonation Engine using a JP-10/air mixture as the primary combustible reactants. A small JP-10/oxygen pre-detonation tube was used to initiate the detonation in the JP-10/air mixture in the engine. The engine was tested at various inlet conditions and equivalence ratios in order to determine the detonable regime of the fuel/air mixture. The original area transition from the pre-detonation tube to the main combustion tube appeared to be too extreme, so a tube was added to extend the pre-detonation tube into the throat of a shock focusing device inserted flush with the head end of the main combustion tube to promote more favorable transition conditions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADA380297

Entities

People

  • Robert G. Johnson

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Products
  • Combustors
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Exothermic Reactions
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Heat Energy
  • Ignition
  • Ignition Lag
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rocket Propulsion
  • Thermal Efficiency
  • Two Dimensional
  • Wave Propagation

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.