Development of a Small Scale Rotating Detonation Engine

reportActive / Technical Report | Accesssion Number: AD1102874 | Open PDF

Abstract:

The Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) has been researched extensively in recent years, but the minimum size limits of an RDE have not been well investigated. The goal of this research was to build an RDE small enough to produce a detonation frequency above 20 kHz with a single detonation wave while also reducing the engines mass flow rate. An engine with these design characteristics would reduce hazards associated with previous RDE testing. This research objective resulted in the design of an RDE with an outer diameter sized at 28 mm using ethylene and nitrous oxide as a fuel and oxidizer. The engine was tested over a range of equivalence ratios between 0.5-1.5 and at mass flow rates of 0.025-0.075 kg/s to characterize its operation. Key design parameters were the injection hole diameter, detonation channel gap, detonation channel length, and detonation channel diameter. Detonation was achieved in an RDE of this scale, which proved operability of an engine with these design characteristics was possible.

Author(s):
Dechert, Joseph R.
Author Organization(s):
AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH
Funding Organization(s):
Publication Date:
2020 Mar 26
Pagination:
0

Security Markings

RECORD

Collection: TRECMS
Subject Terms
Communities of Interest:
Weapons Technologies
Descriptor(s):
chemical reactions, combustion, air force, geometry, data acquisition, pressure measurement, rocket engines, turbines, air force research laboratories, combustion products, computational fluid dynamics, detonation waves, engineering, flow rate, frequency, ignition, ignition systems
Keyword(s):
rde (Rotating Detonation Engines), Small Scale, Pressure-Gain Combustion, Detonation Combustion, Detonation Frequency, nitrous oxide, equivalence ratios, hole diameter, detonation channel gap, detonation channel length, detonation channel diameter, fft (Fast Fourier Transforms)
Subject Categories:
Propulsion, Engines and Fuels
Update Date:
2020 Jul 13