Influencing Factors on the Performance of Pulse Detonation Engine at Test Bench

Abstract

Unsteady operation of valveless pulse detonation engine results in unsteady gas dynamics of air inflow. In this paper, a simplified model has been developed to evaluate actual performance of pulse detonation engine with consideration of intake condition. The volume of plenum chamber, inflow area of pulsed detonation chamber and the operation frequency are considered as influencing factors on pulsed detonation chamber thrust performance. The simulation results show bigger plenum chamber volume leads to less inflow perturbation of pulsed detonation chamber. If the gas state of inflow is not determined by unsteady character, the negative thrust of pulsed detonation chamber will decrease with the increase in frequency. But when unsteady character has an effect on inflow, the negative thrust of pulsed detonation chamber increases with the increase in frequency. The experimental results of pulse detonation engine on test bench confirmed the simulation results.