Numerical simulation of transient combustion process in pulse detonation engine

Author(s):  
Hyungwon Kim ◽  
Dale Anderson ◽  
Frank Lu ◽  
Donald Wilson
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Bharat Ankur DOGRA ◽  
Mehakveer SINGH ◽  
Tejinder Kumar JINDAL ◽  
Subhash CHANDER

Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE), is an emerging and promising propulsive technology all over the world in the past few decades. A pulse detonation engine (PDE) is a type of propulsion system that uses detonation waves to combust the fuel and oxidizer mixture. Theoretically, a PDE can be operate from subsonic to hypersonic flight speeds. Pulsed detonation engines offer many advantages over conventional air-breathing engines and are regarded as potential replacements for air-breathing and rocket propulsion systems, for platforms ranging from subsonic unmanned vehicles, long-range transportation, high-speed vehicles, space launchers to space vehicles. This article highlights the operating cycle of PDE, starting with the fuel-oxidizer mixture, combustion and Deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) followed by purging. PDE combustion process, a unique process, leads to consistent and repeatable detonation waves. This pulsed detonation combustion process causes rapid burning of the fuel-oxidizer mixture, which cannot be seen in any other combustion process as it is a thousand times faster than any other mode of combustion. PDE not only holds the capability of running effectively up to Mach 5 but it also changes the technicalities in space propulsion. The present paper is the extension of the previous study which is also a well characterized status report of PDE in different areas. The present study deals with the categorization of the design approach, computations & simulations, flow visualization, DDT & Thrust enhancement, PDRE’s, experimental detonation engines with some of the experience and research undertaken in Punjab Engineering College under the complete supervision and guidance of Prof. Tejinder Kumar Jindal followed by applications of PDE technology.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Pandey ◽  
Pinku Debnath

Pulse detonation engines (PDEs) are new exciting propulsion technologies for future propulsion applications. The operating cycles of PDE consist of fuel-air mixture, combustion, blowdown, and purging. The combustion process in pulse detonation engine is the most important phenomenon as it produces reliable and repeatable detonation waves. The detonation wave initiation in detonation tube in practical system is a combination of multistage combustion phenomena. Detonation combustion causes rapid burning of fuel-air mixture, which is a thousand times faster than deflagration mode of combustion process. PDE utilizes repetitive detonation wave to produce propulsion thrust. In the present paper, detailed review of various experimental studies and computational analysis addressing the detonation mode of combustion in pulse detonation engines are discussed. The effect of different parameters on the improvement of propulsion performance of pulse detonation engine has been presented in detail in this research paper. It is observed that the design of detonation wave flow path in detonation tube, ejectors at exit section of detonation tube, and operating parameters such as Mach numbers are mainly responsible for improving the propulsion performance of PDE. In the present review work, further scope of research in this area has also been suggested.


2018 ◽  
Vol 234 ◽  
pp. 01001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasile Prisacariu ◽  
Constantin Rotaru ◽  
Ionică Cîrciu ◽  
Mihai Niculescu

A pulse detonation engine (PDE) is a type of propulsion system that uses detonation waves to combust the fuel and oxidizer mixture. The engine is pulsed because the mixture must be renewed in the combustor between each detonation wave. Theoretically, a PDE can operate from subsonic up to hypersonic flight speed. Pulsed detonation engines offer many advantages over conventional propulsion systems and are regarded as potential replacements for air breathing and rocket propulsion systems, for platforms ranging from subsonic unmanned vehicles, long range transports, high-speed vehicles, space launchers to space vehicles. The article highlights elements of the current state of the art, but also theoretical and numerical aspects of these types of unconventional engines. This paper presents a numerical simulation of a PDE at h=10000 m with methane as working fluid for stoichiometric combustion, in order to find out the detonation conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1227-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiwu Wang ◽  
Xing Liu ◽  
Yaqi Wang ◽  
Hongwei Li ◽  
Kun Zhang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Pinku Debnath ◽  
K. M. Pandey

Pulse detonation engines (PDEs) are new concept propulsion technologies and unsteady propulsion system that operates cyclically and typically consists of four stages, filling of fuel/air mixture, combustion, blow down and purging. Out of these four processes, combustion is the most crucial one since it produces reliable and repeatable detonation wave. Detonation is a supersonic combustion process which is essentially a shock front driven by the energy release from the reaction zone in the flow right behind it. It is based on supersonic mode of combustion and causes rapid burning of a fuel-air mixture, typically tens of thousands of times faster than in a flame, that utilize repetitive detonations to produce thrust or power. PDE offers the potential to provide increased performance while simultaneously reducing engine weight, cost, and complexity relative to conventional propulsion systems currently in service. It has the potential to drastically reduce the cost of orbit transfer vehicle system as well as space vehicle attitude control system and can be used for wide range of military, civil and commercial applications. Due to its obvious advantages, worldwide attention has been paid to the scientific and technical issues concerning PDE. The present study deals with the convergence and divergence nozzle effects on specific thrust and pressure of Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Pulse Detonation Engine having 88.3cm length and 9.5cm diameter combustion chamber, convergence nozzle, detonation tube and divergence nozzle were design in Gambit 2.3.16. FLUENT 6.3 predict the flow physics of pressure and specific thrust (Fs), increase in divergence nozzle compared to convergence nozzle and specific thrust of detonation tube was changed with the change of flight Mach number. A three dimension computational unstructured grid was developed which gives the best meshing accuracy as well as computational results. RNG k-ε turbulence model was used for the mass flow rate, pressure and velocity contours analysis with standard wall function.


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