Rotary valve for pulse detonation engines

Abstract

A rotary valve for pulse detonation engines includes a rotor rotatively mounted in the forward end of the pulse detonation tube and a plurality of transfer plenums for receiving fuel and air arranged around the rotor and partially disposed over the forward end of the tube. The rotor has a plurality of internal flow passages formed therein which periodically align with a plurality of inlet ports formed near the forward end of the tube as the rotor rotates. Each one of the transfer plenums is aligned with a corresponding one of the inlet ports so that the flow passages will establish fluid communication between the tube and the transfer plenums when aligned with the inlet ports. Additional features include axial injection of the fuel-air mixture into the pulse detonation tube, pre-compression of the inlet flow and a drive system located outside of the primary gas path.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.