NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : Pulse Detonation Engines for High Mach Number Applications

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

APRI has previously been involved in the development of Pulse Detonation Engines for subsonic propulsion applications and is interested in applications of these engines to combined-cycle systems for hypersonic airbreathing propulsion.

In these systems, the critical characteristic of PDE operation is the upper speed limit that is determined by thermal and/or chemical kinetic considerations.

Pulse Detonation Engines operate in a cyclic manner that requires filling the engine with detonable mixture, initiating a detonation, and allowing blowdown of the high pressure engine. The filling must occur without bulk chemical reaction.

However, at some inlet Mach number, the temperature of the air coming into the PDE will be high enough that reaction will occur before the desired time in the PDE cycle. With appropriate valve timing and engine cooling, the upper limit of the inlet Mach number may be increased. Thus, the focus of the proposed work is to develop cooling and valve technology required to maximize this upper Mach limit. This represents a unique opportunity to develop the critical technology required to transform the PDE into a device that can serve as an element of hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems.

APRI intends to apply this technology to the development of supersonic target drones. With success on these systems, application to the replacement of other ramjet-based systems such as turboramjet, air-turbo-ramjet, and ram/scramjet engines is anticipated.

Dr. James D. Sterling
Advanced Projects Research, Incorporated
1925 McKinley Avenue, Suite B
LaVerne, CA 91750

Advanced Projects Research, Incorporated
1925 McKinley Avenue, Suite B
LaVerne, CA 91750