Experimental Investigations of a Pulse Detonation Combustor Integrated with a Turbine

The experimental investigations of interaction of a pulse detonation combustor (PDC) with a single stage radial flow turbine of a turbocharger were performed to examine the operability that a turbomachinery such as a turbine could be used in the harsh pulsing flow of a pulse detonation engine (PDE). The effects of PDC operating parameters including fill fraction and equivalence ratio on peak pressure and peak pressure attenuation through a turbine were investigated. The fuel and oxidizer were liquid C8H|6 and air. The experimental results show that the experimental rig can operate stably under the firing frequency up to 10 Hz. The turbine survives and functions after over 12,000 detonations event. The turbine extracts the energy of PDC exhaust to drive the compressor. Under the firing frequency of 10 Hz, compressor pressure ratio is 1.216, compressor power is 2.756 kW and compressor efficiency is 60.33%. The detonation wave is attenuated after expanding through the turbine. The peak pressure increases with increasing fill fraction, while the peak pressure firstly increases and then decreases with increasing equivalence ratio from 0.86 to 1.27. But peak pressure attenuation trend is opposite to that of peak pressure.