Review of the parameters of obstacles affecting deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) for pulse detonation engine application

• Main Authors: M., Silambarasan, Soni, Sanjay Kumar, Kaushal, Rajneesh
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Barriers; Combustion chambers; Deflagration; Detonation waves; Fuels; Gas turbine engines; Oxidizing agents; Parameters; Pulsed detonation wave engines; Thermodynamic efficiency
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0051541

Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) technology is a revolutionary technology in the field of aerospace propulsion which utilize principle of detonation of fuel oxidizer mixture to produce thrust. As the fuel oxidizer are burned by detonation mode of combustion in PDE, therefore the combustion process can be approximated as constant volume combustion process. Hence, PDE is having higher thermal efficiency as compared to the other convention gas turbine engines. However, in conventional way forming a detonation wave in PDE tube requires a huge expense of energy and moreover its sustenance is a difficult phenomenon. A key issue in the development of pulse detonation engine is to achieve detonation with a low-energy deposition and in a short run-up distance. As per the experimental work reported in literature detonation can be achieved in a fuel air mixture with low energy input and in short run-up distance by placing Deflagration to Detonation devices in PDE combustor. Hence, in present paper, detailed review of various obstacles parameters affecting on DDT in pulse detonation engines are discussed. First, review on the early attempts to use DDT devices to enhance the transition are discussed. Thereafter a brief discussion of the possible reasons for the successes and failure of the early attempts with DDT devices are reviewed. Other practical difficulties on implementation of the device also noticed and their potential implication for further development of DDT device are also presented.