Experimental study of mixing chamber effect on average thrust of a pulse detonation engine

Using thrustwall pressure integration method and force sensor method synchronously, the average thrust characteristics of a pulse detonation engine (PDE) mockup operated in variety frequencies were investigated experimentally. Three mixing chambers were designed and used in the multicycle detonation experiments in order to observe the mixing chamber effect on average thrust of PDE mockup. The average thrust values obtained by thrustwall pressure integration method and force sensor method were contrasted and analyzed. The results indicated that the average thrust of the PDE mockup increased linearly as the operating frequency increased. The average thrust obtained by thrustwall pressure integration method was bigger than that obtained by the force sensor method in the same operating case. As the operating frequency increased, the ratio of average thrust obtained by force sensor method and thrustwall pressure integration method increased. Each of the average thrust of PDE mockup with mixing chamber 2 was larger slightly than that of mixing chamber 3 when the force sensor method was used at the several operating frequencies. Meanwhile, each of the PDE average thrust with mixing chamber 3 was larger than that of mixing chamber 1 and 2 when thrustwall pressure integration method was used.