A pulse-detonation thruster can generate a high-repeatability small impulse at a high operating frequency. To operate a pulse-detonation cycle in a vacuum environment without a purging material, a liquid-purge method proposed by Matsuoka et al. (“Development of a Liquid-Purge Method for High-Frequency Operation of Pulse Detonation Combustor,” Combustion Science and Technology, Vol. 187, No. 5, 2015, pp. 747–764) and throat at the exit of the combustor were introduced. In the demonstration experiment, gaseous ethylene–liquid nitrous oxide, as detonable mixture, and a throat having an inner diameter of 3.6 mm (blockage ) were used. The measured cyclic flame-propagation speeds were and of the estimated Chapman–Jouguet detonation speed. Consequently, a 50 Hz pulse-detonation operation without a purging material in the ambient-pressure range of 0.035–1.5 kPa was confirmed. A quasi-steady model, in which gases in the combustor are in the stationary state, was newly developed to investigate the operating characteristic of the pulse-detonation thruster. The experimental pressure history in the combustor during the burned-gas blowdown process was in good agreement with that of the model. Moreover, using the model, the thrust performance of the pulse-detonation thruster with a converging–diverging nozzle was investigated. It was found that the estimated specific impulse was comparable with that of the theoretical steady-state rocket engine.
Validation of Pulse-Detonation Operation in Low-Ambient-Pressure Environment
Journal of Propulsion and Power ; 34 , 1 ; 116-124
2017-06-16
9 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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