Thrust characteristics of a pulse detonation engine operating on a liquid hydrocarbon fuel

摘要

A demonstrator of a pulse detonation combustion chamber of original design based on a cyclic deflagration- to-detonation transition in a mixture of separately fed liquid hydrocarbon fuel (propane-butane mixture) and air was developed. Fire tests of the demonstrator with an attached air duct, operating frequencies of up to 20 Hz, were performed on a thrust measurement bench. During the tests, wave processes in the gasdynamic duct were monitored and fuel consumption rate and thrust force were measured. At a frequency of operation of the demonstrator within 2-15 Hz, the fuel-based specific impulse was similar to 1000 s. It is shown that a partial filling of the gasdynamic duct with fuel mixture makes it possible to increase the specific impulse up to similar to 1100 s.