RDE research and development in Poland

P Wolański

doi:10.1007/s00193-021-01038-2

Abstract

A very short survey of research conducted in Poland on the development of the rotating detonation engine (RDE) is presented. Initial studies conducted in cooperation with Japanese partners lead to development of a joint patent on RDE. Then, an intensive basic and applied research was started at the Institute of Heat Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology. One of the first achievements was the demonstration of performance of the rocket engine with an aerospike nozzle utilizing continuously rotating detonation (CRD), and research was directed into development of a small turbofan engine utilizing such a combustion regime. These activities promoted international cooperation and stimulated RDE development not only in Poland but also in other countries. A research directed to measure and calculate flow parameters as well as to analyze the use of liquid fuels was conducted. In the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw, research on the application of the CRD to turbine engines as well as rocket, ramjet, and combined cycle engines was carried out. In the paper, a special emphasis is given to international cooperation in this area with partners from many countries engaged in the development of the pressure gain combustion to propulsion systems.

Highlights

The possibility of improving the thermodynamic cycle by application of detonative combustion instead of deflagration was first proposed by Zeldovich [1], but he pointed out difficulties in controlling such a very highly energetic and ultra-high-speed process to engine application
The first idea of a possible application of detonation to the propulsion system comes from the University of Michigan where Nicholls et al [2] proposed and built the first pulsed detonation engine, which utilizes the detonation of a hydrogen–air mixture to produce propulsion impulse
Pioneering research focused on basic aspects and on the application of the continuously rotating detonation to propulsion systems, which was conducted in Poland, was presented in the paper

Summary

Introduction

The possibility of improving the thermodynamic cycle by application of detonative combustion instead of deflagration was first proposed by Zeldovich [1], but he pointed out difficulties in controlling such a very highly energetic and ultra-high-speed process to engine application. At the same university Adamson et al analyzed the possibility of the application of a rotating detonation wave to improve the propulsion efficiency of rocket propulsion [3, 4]. Detailed research on spin detonation was carried out at the University of Michigan [9]. Attempts of developing a continuously rotating detonation (CRD) for propulsion systems were undertaken at the University of Michigan. Adamson et al [4], using very simple computing techniques, properly predicted the basic structure of rotating detonation in a rocket engine, but experimental research carried out at that time was not successful [10], so the study of application of the CRD for propulsion was interrupted for a long time [11, 12].

Basic research

International cooperation

Research at the Institute of Aviation

Findings

Summary and conclusions