Experimental research on a rotary-valved air-breathing pulse detonation engine

Abstract

An experimental research on flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in an air-breathing pulse detonation engine was performed. The inner diameter of the detonation tube and pulse detonation engine overall length were 8.6 cm and 155 cm, respectively. A rotary-valve configuration was developed to control air-filling process. The stability and effectiveness of the rotary valve was investigated. Also, a control system was employed to support valve rotating, fuel supply and ignition timing accurately. Utilizing air as oxidizer as well as purge gas and kerosene as fuel, multi-cycle detonations in pulse detonation engine were conducted. Three DDT enhancement devices were used to examine their impacts on transition to detonation. Pressure transducers and ionization probes were used to measure pressures and flame velocities, respectively. This rotary-valved pulse detonation engine was capable of detonating fuel-air mixtures that successive detonations at 15 and 20 Hz were observed. By utilizing three DDT enhancement devices, the detonability of kerosene-air mixtures is remarkably promoted. The effectiveness of geometry shape of DDT enhancement approaches is investigated. The results represent that when DDT enhancement devices geometry shape as well as ignition frequency vary, the pressure and flame velocity, overpressure value and flame regime are different.