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Degree

PhD, University of Cincinnati, Engineering : Aerospace Engineering, 2004.

Abstract

Research studies investigating the performance optimization and fundamental physics of pulse detonation engines (PDE) were performed. Experimental and computational methods were developed and used in these studies. Four primary research tasks were established. The first research task was to obtain detailed measurements of a PDE exhaust plume for a variety of operating conditions and engine geometries. Shadowgraph visualizations in conjunction with OH* and CH* chemiluminescence imaging were performed. The PDE plume visualizations provided a means of studying the flowfield behavior associated with PDE ejectors and exhaust nozzles as well as providing explanations for the observed acoustic behavior of the PDE. The second research task was to quantify the thrust augmentation of PDE-ejectors. Significant losses in the ejector entrainment were observed when the ejector inlet was not of an aerodynamic shape. Performance measurements of axisymmetric PDE-ejector systems showed the thrust augmentation to be a strong function of the ejector length-to-diameter ratio, ejector axial placement and PDE fill-fraction. Peak thrust augmentation levels were recorded to be approximately 20% for a straight-ejector and 65% for a diverging-ejector. An increase in thrust augmentation was obtained with a reduction in fill-fraction. Performance measurements of PDE converging and diverging exhaust nozzles were also obtained at various operating conditions of the engine. At low fill-fractions, both converging and diverging exhaust nozzles were observed to adversely affect the PDE performance. At fill-fractions close to and greater than 1, the converging nozzles showed the best performance due to increased PDE blow-down time (maintaining PDE chamber pressure) and acceleration of the primarily subsonic exhaust flow. The fourth research task was to perform a detailed far-field study of PDE acoustics. The acoustic energy of the PDE blast-wave was observed to be highly directional. Very good agreement was obtained between the experimental data and model predictions for the radial decay in peak pressure as well as the characteristic times of the blast-wave pulses. Converging exhaust nozzles were observed to produce a global reduction in PDE noise, while diverging nozzles affected only the downstream noise.

Subject Headings

Engineering, Aerospace

Keywords

pulse detonation engine; detonation; nozzles; ejectors; acoustics; shadowgraph; blast waves; computational fluid dynamics; chemiluminescence

Advisor

Dr. Ephraim Gutmark

Pages

386p.

Document number: ucin1095259010
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1095259010

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