Abstract
The pulse detonation engine (PDE) is a propulsion system that generates thrust by repetitive detonation. Performance of the PDE, such as specific impulse, has gained much attention. However, the details of operational conditions related to performance have not been clarified. In this study, to investigate these issues, a hydrogen-air PDE was constructed and the effect of the purge process on multi-cycle operations was studied. The exhaust of the burned gas from the PDE was made by rarefaction waves so that it is expected not to create internal disturbance, such as spiral, in the tube so that the burned gas can be exhausted smoothly. A purge process using air was applied to assist the exhaust process in order to prevent failures in multi-cycle operations. The effects of the purge-volume fraction were investigated. As a result, when a purge-air gas filled the region including the spark plug, detonations occurred in a stable manner. Using these conditions, multi-cycle experiments ranging from 10 to 50 Hz were conducted and profiles of the thrust-wall pressure are discussed in detail.
