Determination of Effective Crossover Location and Dimensions for Branched Detonation in a Pulsed Detonation Engine

摘要

A study is presented of the optimal crossover duct location and width to obtain consistent branched detonation transition from one detonation tube to another. On a Pulsed Detonation Engine (PDE) with detonation branching, the duct location at which the detonation crosses from one (primary) tube to a branched (secondary) tube impacts the number of successful detonations. In this paper, a comparison is made of the effects of the location and the width of the crossover duct for hydrogen and ethylene fuels. The crossover location is varied from the aft end of the detonation tube to the middle of the detonation tube while the crossover width is varied from 2.5 inches to 0.5 inches. Detonation wave speeds are measured to determine successful detonations. Ethylene is demonstrated 100% of the time to establish detonations exiting from the primary tube and reinitiating in the secondary tube with a mid-location crossover duct and a crossover width equal to at least 1.5 inches.