Propulsion and Power Commons^™

Novel Design And Fabrication Of A High-Speed Transient Heat Flux Sensor For Application To Rotating Detonation Engines, Zachary Todd Tallman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rotating detonation engine (RDE) combustion systems have been a topic of interest in the pressure gain combustion community for their benefits over traditional gas turbine engine combustors. However, cooling requirements for these engines are significantly higher and less predictable than those of non-detonating engines. To understand and quantify the high-speed heat transfer dynamics within an RDE, a novel high-frequency heat flux sensor is presented. This study aims to design a robust, single-sided sensor that can withstand the high temperature and harsh environment of an RDE for extended durations. Screen printing is used to deposit a layered, platinum-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) film …

Injection Studies On A Small-Scale Rotating Detonation Engine With Improved Flow Control, Jonathan J. Wyatt

Theses and Dissertations

The Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) has gained increasing attention in recent years for its potential advantages over typical deflagration combustion. A Micro-RDE design with an outer diameter of 28mm operating on Nitrous Oxide and Ethylene was recently developed, which stretched the limits of small-scale detonation engines. The testing on this rig has shown a stable one wave mode detonation with frequencies reaching 16.8 kHz. Key parameters that influence the detonation wave mode are cell size, fill height, and wave speed, which are heavily influence d by injection schemes. Previous testing utilized a partially premixed jets in crossflow (JIC) injection scheme, …

Improving The Stability And Operability Of A Small-Scale Rotating Detonation Engine, Nathan T. Fiorino

Theses and Dissertations

A small scale RDE was designed with a channel diameter of 28 mm and channel gap of 2 mm and operated on nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ethylene (C₂H₄) as the oxidizer and fuel respectively. Changes to the original Jets in Crossflow (JIC) injection scheme and spark plug ignition method were implemented to counteract previously observed wave instabilities. Successful detonation was observed over a range of mass flows (0.035-0.068 kg/s) and equivalence ratios (ɸ = 0.6-1.4) and a stable single wave mode with frequency up to 16.8 kHz was observed for the first time. Injection …

Detonation Confinement In A Radial Rotating Detonation Engine, Kavi Muraleetharan

Theses and Dissertations

Radial Rotating Detonation Engines (RRDE) have provided an opportunity for use of a pressure-gain combustor in a more compact form compared to an axial RDE. A successfully tested RRDE has operated over a wide range of test conditions and produced detonation modes with one, two, and three waves. The presence of multiple waves located the detonation waves to the outer radius, while one wave modes operated closer to the inner radius. Locating the detonation wave closer to the inner diameter resulted in less time for combustion prior to the radial turbine. Subsequently, this tended to decrease efficiency. To attempt to …

Development Of A Small Scale Rotating Detonation Engine, Joseph R. Dechert

Theses and Dissertations

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 engine's mass ow 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. …

Scaling Analysis And Experimental Investigation Of A Rotating Detonation Engine, David Thomas Billups

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pressure gain combustion (PGC) technologies, specifically rotating detonation engines (RDEs), are poised to provide the next big leap in gas turbine engine advancement, significantly increasing the thermal. RDEs make use of thermodynamic advantages of isochoric as opposed to isobaric combustion. Theorized to increase thermal efficiency by up to 7% [1], the RDE would have significant impact on reducing anthropogenic carbon emissions. In addition to efficiency gains, the RDE also provides mechanical simplicity and reduced size advantages compared to it’s traditional counterparts and PGC competition.

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) maintains and operates …

Design, Buildup, And Testing Of A Radial Rotating Detonation Engine For A Compact Auxiliary Power Unit, Riley Huff

Theses and Dissertations

Current power generators consume a large portion of the aircrafts usable volume and they are also extremely heavy for the amount of power that they can produce. Therefore, a need for compact, lightweight Auxiliary Power Units (APU) with high power density has arisen. A novel solution to this problem comes in the form of coupling a Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) with a turbine generator. A new type of RDE referred to as the Radial Rotating Detonation Engine (RRDE) has been developed to fill this need. This project marks the first radial ow RDE successfully operated in the United States, and …

The Exploration Of Rotating Detonation Dynamics Incorporating A Coal-Based Fuel Mixture, John P. Rogan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This investigation explores the detonation dynamics of a rotating detonation engine (RDE). Beginning with the general understanding and characteristics of hydrogen and compressed air as a detonation fuel source, this study further develops the experimental approach to incorporating a coal-based fuel mixture in an RDE. There is insufficient prior research investigating the use of coal as part of a fuel mixture and insignificant progress being made to improve thermal efficiency with deflagration. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy awarded the Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory at the University of Central Florida a grant to lead the investigation …