• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.326-329
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• 2008

DARPA's hypersonic propulsion program VULCAN is aimed for development of Mach 4+ capable engine by combining current production turbofan engine such as F119 with CVC (Constant Volume Combustion) engine. Final goal is a TBCC(Turbo-based Combined Cycle) engine by combining with dual mode ramjet/scramjet engine. CVC is a common designation of new concept of high efficiency engines, such as Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) or Continuous Detonation Engine (CDE), which use the detonation as a combustion mechanism. Present paper introduces the internationally collaborative research activities carried out in Aerospace Combustion and Propulsion Laboratory of the department of Aerospace Engineering of the Pusan national University.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.205-210
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• 2004

The pulse detonation engine (PDE) has recently expected as a new aerospace propulsion system. The PDE system has high thermal efficiency because of its constant-volume combustion and its simple tube structure. We measured thrust of single-tube pulse detonation rocket (PDR) by two methods using the PDR-Engineering Model (full scale model) for ground testing. The first involved measuring the displacement of the PDR-EM by laser displacement meter, and the second involved measuring the time-averaged thrust by combining a load cell and a spring-damper system. From these two measurements, we obtained 130.1 N of time-averaged thrust, which corresponds to 321.2 sec of effective specific impulse (ISP). As well, we measured the heat flux in the wall of PDE tubes. The heat flux was approximately 400 ㎾/$m^2$. We constructed the PDR-Flight Mode] (PDR-FM). In the vertical flight test in a laboratory, the PDR-FM was flying and keeping its altitude almost constant during 0.3 sec.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.506-512
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• 2004

We analytically estimated the propulsive performance of pulse detonation engines (PDEs) in three cases, which were (1) a fully-fueled simplified PDE, (2) a partially-fueled simplified PDE, and (3) a PDE optimized as a system. The results of the model analyses in the cases of (1) and (2) were in good agreement with published experimental data which were obtained by using simplified PDEs. The comparison between the results of the analyses of simplified PDEs and those of optimized PDE systems showed that specific impulse would become higher by about 10-20% due to PDE-system optimization.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.10
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• pp.858-869
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• 2014

Most of the aerospace propulsion is based on the Brayton cycle, in which the combustion is held through the constant pressure process, but further improvement of performance by increasing compression ratio is challenged by mechanical limits. Detonation propulsions, regarded promising for high-speed propulsion for a lase decade, is more rigorously studied in these days as a game-changer for the improvement of thermodynamic efficiency of propulsion and power generation systems. Since, the additional compression by the strong shock of the detonation wave is considered increasing thermodynamics efficiency that is hardly achievable by the conventional compression systems. Present paper will give an introduction the latest technical trends on the Pulse Detonation Engines(PDEs) and the activities on the Pressure Gain Combustion (PGC) based on Constant Volume Combustion (CVC).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.11-18
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• 2018

A pulse detonation engine (PDE) requires high operating frequency greater than 100 Hz to get meaning thrust as a propulsion devise. Thus a PDE needs an ignition circuit operating precisely at high operating frequencies. In this paper AC(alternating current) and DC(direct current) types of ignition circuits were designed and compared. Each circuit was tested at operating frequencies from 16.66 to 100.00 Hz by measuring the input signal of each circuit and the voltage change in the primary coil of the transformer. Results show that the DC power circuit can attain a maximum error rate of 5.15% at higher operating frequencies, whereas the AC power circuit displays a negligible agreement with the operating signal at frequencies greater than 33.33 Hz. Therefore it is confirmed that DC-powered ignition circuit is preferable for the PDE operating at high frequencies.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.8
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• pp.712-721
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• 2015

Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) has been considered as a future propulsion system for broad range of operation and higher thermal efficiency. Various subsystem technologies have been studied for more than decade to improve the performance of the potential system. New valve systems has been developed for the stable operation at high frequency including inflow-driven valve, rotary valve and valveless system. To foster the detonation initiation with a little ignition energy, plasma ignition method and DDT (deflagration to detonation transition) acceleration method such as swept ramp mechanism have been studied. Fluidic nozzle system and other nozzle system are the ongoing research topics to maximize the propulsion performance of the PDE. Present paper introduces the state of the art of PDE subsystem technologies developed in recent years.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.81-89
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• 2018

In this study, the operating characteristics of a small-scale pulse detonation engine (PDE) were investigated experimentally for application as a small thruster and an igniter. The PDE was constructed using commercial gas tubes with an inner diameter of 4.22 mm. The operating and detonation propagation characteristics of the PDE were investigated over the ranges of equivalence ratios and operating frequencies. Measured detonation speed was close to 10% of the theoretical CJ values at 1 Hz and 5 Hz conditions. However, unstable propagation characteristics were shown at 20 Hz and lean conditions, where the velocity deficit was increased by 20~62%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.57-64
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• 2011

It has been suggested that turbulent effect should be considered for the study of highly unstable detonation of hydrocarbon fuels, as in the case of pulse detonation engine (PDE). A series of numerical study are carried out to understand the characteristics of the highly unstable detonation by considering viscosity, turbulence model and turbulence-combustion interaction model. Through studies of the different levels of modeling, it is understood that the viscosity and turbulence have negligible effects on low frequency characteristics, but tend to enhance the high frequency characteristics. It is also considered that the turbulence-chemistry interaction model should be taken the influence of the activation energy into account for detonation studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2013

An effect of a spiral turbulent ring, so-called Shchelkin spiral, on a detonation performance was studied experimentally for acetylene and oxygen mixture. A couple of dynamic pressure transducers were used to calculate a detonation wave velocity by a time difference between two pressure peaks. In addition, impulse was measured by a load cell and the impulse was used to analyze the spiral effect on the detonation performance. A CFD analysis was adopted to calculate mass flow rates of the propellants and the minimum filling time. The maximum velocity and pressure were measured at the equivalence ratio of 2.4, and the measured values showed similar trend to C-J conditions calculated from CEA. For the shorter chamber with the short spiral, the maximum detonation velocity was appeared. In contrast, the longer chamber without the spiral showed the maximum thrust performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.278-281
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• 2012

Numerical studies were performed to investigate the three-dimensional front structure and dynamics features of detonation wave propagating in a circular tube such as Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE). By carrying out a series of parametric study using one step irreversible Arrhenius kinetics model, mechanisms of the three-dimensional front structure were investigated for two-, three-, four and six-cell mode detonations. A comparison with two-dimensional results, the effects of slapping transverse waves in radial direction were confirmed. In the all muti-cell modes, the detonation front structures and smoked-records on the wall are formed by the propagation of transverse waves along the wall in clockwise and counter-clockwise while the slapping move in radial direction. And the strength of reflected waves on the curved wall is changed by the multi-dimensional confinement effect.