The Continuous Detonation Wave Engine (CDWE) can also be considered to reduce the environmental conditions generated by PDE while reducing the importance of initiation issue and simplifying some integration aspects. Specific experimental program has been performed by MBDA and Lavrentiev Institute to understand CDWE operating mode and to address some key points for the feasibility of an operational rotating wave engine for space launcher. It was found that such engine could deliver impressive thrust in a very small package (275 daN for a 50 mm (internal diameter) and 100 mm long, kerosene -oxygen engine) and that could be increased with the use of a diverging nozzle. Due to the geometry of the combustion chamber, a plug or aerospike nozzle seems to be the best design, the thrust vectoring capability of this engine (with the local change of the mass flow rate) being a way to solve the problem of attitude control. The heat fluxes are very high but located mostly near the injection wall. This point will help the gasification of the liquid component injected inside the combustion chamber. Some preliminary tests have been performed to evaluate the capability of C/SiC composite materials to sustain the very severe mechanical environment generated by the rotating detonation waves.. Beyond these first steps, MBDA designed a large scale ground demonstrator allowing to address all issues for a continuous detonation rocket engine using LH2/LOx mixture. As a first step toward the development of this large scale engine, a small scale demo is to be tested in Spring 2010.
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