Calculation and experimental investigation on average thrust characteristics of a model pulse detonation engine

Aimed at the problem of how to determine the pulse detonation engine (PDE) average thrust, the computing and measuring principles of volume impulse estimating method and thrust wall pressure cure integral method and spring-mass-damper system method were discussed in this paper. A thrust test stand was built up. Using thrust wall pressure integration method and spring-mass-damper system method synchronously, the average thrust characteristics of a model pulse detonation engine operated in variety frequencies were investigated experimentally. The computing and experimental value of average thrust obtained respectively by volume impulse estimating method and thrust wall pressure integration method and spring-mass-damper system method were contrasted and analyzed. The following conclusions were made that the average thrust of the model PDE was increasing linearly along with the increasing of operating frequency and the average thrust obtained by volume impulse estimating method was bigger than what obtained by thrust wall pressure cure integral method, and the spring-mass-damper system method was the smallest one. It was estimated that the average thrust of the model PDE was between the value obtained by thrust wall pressure integration method and spring-mass-damper system method.