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Detonation Branching In A Pde With Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel, Kristin L. Panzenhagen
Detonation Branching In A Pde With Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel, Kristin L. Panzenhagen
Theses and Dissertations
A pulse detonation engine (PDE) capitalizes on the large mass flux and pressure rise associated with detonations to create thrust, which is proportional to PDE cycle frequency. This research showed that using a branched detonation as an ignition source, as opposed to standard spark ignition, deposits more energy into the thrust tube head. The increase in energy decreases ignition delay and detonation to deflagration transition (DDT) time. This allows a theoretical 85% cycle frequency increase that is accompanied by an 85% increase in thrust. The increase in energy also reduces the need for a DDT enhancement device, thereby increasing thrust …