Present Development Status for Pulse Detonation Engines

Abstract

First of all in this paper, I show a brief history of a pulse detonation engine research. Thermodynamic analyses for detonation combustion were described, and it was shown that the thermal efficiency of the detonation combustion cycle is higher than the Brayton one. The typical pulse detonation engine operation and gasdynamics models for the simplified pulse detonation engine were illustrated. I also presented recent researches regarding heat and friction losses on a PDE tube wall. The partially-filling effect, ejector effect and nozzle effect on thrust argumentation for PDEs were introduced. As important technical issues of PDEs, I show a deflagration-to-detonation transition process control and gas supplying systems in PDEs. As recent applied researches for PDEs, an air-breathing PDE, a pulse detonation rocket engine, a pulse detonation turbine engine, a PDE thermal spray, and a micro PDE were reported. Finally a rotating detonation engine was introduced.