Pulse Detonation Engine with Variable Control Piezoelectric Fuel Injector

A pulse detonation engine, comprising:

• (a) a detonation tube, said detonation tube having an injection end and an opposing thrust end, said detonation tube including one or more injection ports, said injection ports penetrating said injection end and communicating with a combustion chamber of said detonation tube;
• (b) one or more igniters deployed within said injection end, said one or more igniters positioned to supply electrical spark into said combustion chamber adjacent said one or more injection ports to provide ignition of fuel/oxidizer mixtures;
• (c) one or more fuel injectors, each of said one or more fuel injectors inserted in said one or more injection ports in said injection end of said detonation tube;
• (d) each of said one or more fuel injectors having an injector housing,
• (e) said injector housing having an inner chamber, said inner chamber having an inner nozzle surface providing egress from said inner chamber;
• (f) an inlet nozzle attached to said injector housing and providing ingress into said inner chamber;
• (g) a supply line connected to said inlet nozzle to supply fuel and oxidizer to said fuel injector;
• (h) a flow control member seated within said inner chamber to control flow of fuel through said inner nozzle surface;
• said flow control member having a nose;
• (i) a seal circumscribing said flow control member creating a pressure seal within said inner chamber to isolate an upper portion of said inner chamber from a lower portion of said inner chamber;
• (j) a shoulder, said shoulder circumscribing said inner nozzle surface, said shoulder having a sealing edge, wherein said nose of said flow control member engages said sealing edge to interrupt flow through said fuel injector, and, said nose of said flow control member is retracted away from said sealing edge to provide flow through said flow control member and into said combustion chamber of said detonation tube;
• (k) a piezoelectric stack joined to said flow control member, said flow control member driven directly by said piezoelectric stack;
• and
• (l) drive electronics connected to said piezoelectric stack, said drive electronics configured to control movement of said flow control member within said inner chamber.