Pulse detonation engines: Technical approaches

The paper contains analysis of the problems preventing from wide use of pulse detonation engines (PDE), and provides suggestions to overcome those problems. In particular, the results of theoretical investigations of basic operating cycle in PDE—deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) processes in combustible gaseous mixtures and transmission of detonation into large chambers—are presented. The paper investigates the effect of implosion shock waves on the onset of detonation in gases, and suggests the scheme of detonation transmission from a narrow gap into a wide chamber, which makes it possible to reduce the predetonation length thus shortening the necessary length of the engine.