Experimental study on the performance of a pulse detonation rocket engine with injected flows

To explore the impact of secondary flows on the pressure fluctuation of the exhaust flow and the thrust of the pulse detonation engine (PDE), experiments on the operation and the propulsive performance of a two-phase pulse detonation rocket engine (PDRE) with injected flows have been carried out in this study. Two types of injected flows and five types of transistor-transistor logic (TTL) control signals for supply and ignition were tested. The results indicated that the injected flows helped reducing the pressure fluctuation of the exhausted flow, and a distinct reduce was observed when the nitrogen injection was introduced. Oxygen-enriched injection can also promote the combustion of the residual fuel in the burned gas. Thrusts when the injected flows were employed have been improved compare to the cases with no injection, and the increases all exceed 50%. The propose of injecting secondary flows near the tube exit has been proved as an effective way for enhancing the propulsion performance of a PDRE.