Accession Number:

ADA461265

Title:

Branch Detonation of a Pulse Detonation Engine With Flash Vaporized JP-8

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Personal Author(s):

• Slack, John D.

Report Date:

2006-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

99.0

Abstract:

Pulse Detonation Engines PDE operating on liquid hydrocarbon fuels are limited to operating frequencies of 35 Hz due to long ignition times from a low energy ignition sources. This study shows ignition time of JP-8 can be nearly eliminated by igniting a thrust tube using a secondary detonation. A counter flow heat exchanger attached to a thrust tube utilized waste heat from the detonation process to heat JP-8 to supercritical conditions. The fuel flash vaporized when injected into the air stream of the engine. A detonation was produced by a spark in a 5 cm diameter, 1.37 m long tube. The detonation was then propagated in a 1.9 cm diameter crossover tube into the head of second thrust tube where a pressure transducer and hydroxyl OH sensor measured the combustion event. Branch detonation was performed over a range of equivalence ratios ranging from 1.05 to 1.3. Branch ignited thrust tubes have shown 40 improvement in deflagration to detonation transition DDT time and a slight improvement in DDT distance.

Descriptors:

• *PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS
• *HEAT EXCHANGERS
• *IGNITION
• *DETONATIONS
• *DEFLAGRATION
• SECONDARY
• COMBUSTION
• TRANSITIONS
• WASTES
• HYDROCARBONS
• LOW ENERGY
• AIR FLOW
• THESES

Subject Categories:

• Organic Chemistry
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Combustion and Ignition

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE