Parametric cycle analysis of an ideal pulse detonation engine - Supersonic branch

The purpose of this note is to present a mathematical description of an ideal pulse detonation engine (PDE) based on parametric cycle analysis for supersonic heat addition. The parametric cycle analysis is presented in terms of parameters similar to those for the well-known parametric cycle analyses for the ideal ramjet engine. The performance characteristics of specific thrust, thrust-specific fuel consumption, fuel-to-air ratio, thermal efficiency, propulsive efficiency, overall efficiency, and thrust flux are illustrated as functions of the two parameters: inlet/diffuser exit Mach number, M2 > 1, and freestream Mach number, Mo. This work provides algebraic equations which can be used quickly to investigate the ideal supersonic combustion PDE performance as a function of a variety of input parameters. It is hoped that this work will aid in exploring the performance of the ideal supersonic combustion PDE from a big picture perspective.