Preliminary experimental investigation on pulse detonation rocket engine with central cone configuration

In order to improve the atomization of liquid fuel and mixing of reactants inside the pulse detonation rocket engine using liquid fuel, a pulse detonation rocket engine with a different configuration was invented. A central cone instead of Shchelkin spiral was used in this engine. Reactants could be injected into the engine both through the engine head and the central cone. With kerosene used as fuel, oxygen as oxidizer and nitrogen as purge gas, fully developed detonation waves were generated in this engine, which could operate steadily on multi-cycle mode. The result also indicates that this engine could greatly shorten the DDT (deflagration to detonation transition) run-up distance, and the DDT run-up distance is approximately five times of the inner diameter of detonation tube. Compared with the approach of installing Shchelkin spiral in the detonation tube as DDT enhancement device, the DDT run-up distance of this engine was shortened by 57.5%.