Development and Testing of a Rotating Detonation Engine Run on Hydrogen and Air

Abstract

Rotating detonation engines (RDEs) have the potential for greater efficiencies over conventional engines by utilizing pressure gain combustion. A new modular RDE (6 in diameter) was developed and successfully run on hydrogen and standard air. The RDE allows for variation of injection scheme and detonation channel widths. Tests provided the operational space of the new RDE as well as characterized detonation unsteadiness. It was found that a smaller equivalence ratio than previous was required to obtain continuous detonations. Also discovered was VCJ was reached in the RDE, but not sustained.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 22, 2012
Accession Number
ADA557901

Entities

People

  • Jason C. Shank

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Chemistry
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Chambers
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Detonations
  • Diameters
  • Efficiency
  • Geometry
  • Hydrocarbon Fuels
  • Ignition
  • Military Research
  • Pressure Gain Combustion
  • Pressure Transducers
  • Research Facilities
  • Standards

Readers

  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Rocket Propulsion.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster