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

Abstract

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 ~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 ~1100 s.