Accession Number:

ADA536315

Title:

Swept-Ramp Detonation Initiation Performance in a High-Pressure Pulse Detonation Combustor

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA

Personal Author(s):

• Nichols, Daniel A.

Report Date:

2010-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

87.0

Abstract:

Pulse detonation combustion technologies promise the potential of increased thermodynamic efficiency and performance, across a wide range of thrust and power generation applications. Thrust applications would require initial combustor pressures of about 1-4 atm while power applications would require about 4-20 atm. Most of the previous testing of Pulse Detonation Combustors PDCs utilized standard atmospheric pressure conditions at sea level, but at elevated temperatures of 300-500 F in the combustor. The current work was motivated by a need to experimentally evaluate the detonation initiation performance of a PDC at elevated combustor pressures. Detonability was evaluated at initial combustor pressures from 2-5 atmospheres and at equivalence ratios of about 0.9-1.1. The experimentation utilized a previously constructed and evaluated three inch diameter combustor that employed swept-ramps as the mechanism for Deflagration-to-Detonation DDT initiation. Ramps were removed as the pressure was increased to determine how many sets were necessary to achieve DDT. The legacy PDC was adapted with new and modified components, enabling it to operate at higher pressures and temperatures and for longer durations. It was found that for initial combustor pressures up to 5 atm at least four sets of ramps are required to achieve DDT.

Descriptors:

• *COMBUSTORS
• *DETONATIONS
• *HIGH PRESSURE
• HIGH TEMPERATURE
• EFFICIENCY
• SEA LEVEL
• COMBUSTION
• DDT
• PULSES
• RATIOS
• POWER
• BAROMETRIC PRESSURE
• THRUST
• THERMODYNAMICS
• WEATHER
• ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION

Subject Categories:

• Ammunition and Explosives
• Combustion and Ignition

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE