Inflow-Driven Valve System for Pulse Detonation Engines

A new valve system for a pulse detonation engine that uses a simple inflow-driven piston-interrupting valve is proposed. This valve can generate an intermittent flow by using gas enthalpy, so no power source or control unit is necessary. The mass flow per valve unit mass is comparatively large, the thrust change with changing supply pressure is very responsive, and the inflow supply pressure range for stable operation is wide. In a mass flow rate measurement experiment using a single-piston inflow-driven valve, the operation frequency and mass flow rate were predictable. In a thrust measurement experiment with a pulse detonation rocket engine using a three-piston inflow-driven valve, the pulse detonation engine's stable operation over a wide range of supply pressure was confirmed and the time-averaged thrust was measured. The maximum time-averaged thrust of 22.6 N was achieved at a fuel (ethylene) supply pressure of 0.95 MPa and an oxygen supply pressure of 1.9 MPa. The maximum specific impulse of 279 s was achieved at an ethylene supply pressure of 0.8 MPa and an oxygen supply pressure of 1.6 MPa. [PUBLISHER ABSTRACT]