Abstract

A rotating detonation engine (RDE) is a new, more thermodynamically efficient, propulsion concept that replaces the traditional constant pressure combustion mechanism found in all currently used rockets and power generation devices. The constant pressure combustion is replaced by a detonation wave: a coupled shock-flame complex propagating at speeds of up to 2-3 km/s and generating combustion products at pressures 5-10 times the initial reactant pressure. This pressure gain through the combustion process leads to more compact, simpler devices that no longer require (or depend less upon) initial reactant precompression. Detonation-based cycles also have the added advantage of being theoretically more thermodynamically efficient than their constant pressure combustion counterparts. As such, RDEs have become increasingly popular in the propulsion research community, although there is still a lack of understanding in the underlying physics which govern their operability, though the existence of a minimum mass flow rate limit for stable operation has been observed. To help engineers and researchers design an RDE, a model was developed which combines geometric properties, 1D isentropic flow, and detonation physics to predict the stable operating bounds of an RDE. An engine testing facility was also constructed in collaboration with McGill University to test RDEs and confirm the performance of the prediction model developed.