Method and apparatus for improving the efficiency of pulsed detonation engines
AssigneeScience Applications International Corporation
InventorsShmuel Eidelman, Dmitri Charov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulsed detonation engine having improved efficiency has a detonation chamber for receiving a detonable mixture, an igniter for igniting the detonable mixture, and an outlet for discharging detonation products. A diverging-converging nozzle is provided at the outlet of the detonation chamber. The geometry of the diverging-converging nozzle is selected to enable a relatively short nozzle to significantly improve efficiency of the pulsed detonation engine.
Claims18
A method for improving the efficiency of a pulsed detonation engine having a detonation chamber for receiving a detonable mixture, an igniter for igniting the detonable mixture, and a detonation chamber outlet for discharging detonation products, wherein said detonation chamber has a longitudinal axis, a length, and a width, the method comprising providing a diverging-converging nozzle of predetermined geometric configuration at said detonation chamber outlet, wherein said nozzle comprises a diverging portion having a maximum diameter greater than said detonation chamber width and a converging portion having a minimum diameter less than said maximum diameter.
A pulsed detonation engine comprising a detonation chamber for receiving a detonable mixture, said detonation chamber comprising an igniter for initiating said detonable mixture and a detonation chamber outlet for discharging detonation products, wherein said detonation chamber has a longitudinal axis, a length, and a width;
- the pulsed detonation engine further comprising a diverging-converging nozzle of predetermined geometric configuration at said detonation chamber outlet, wherein said nozzle comprises a diverging portion having a maximum diameter greater than said detonation chamber width and a converging portion having a diameter less than said maximum diameter.
A diverging-converging nozzle having a predetermined geometric configuration and adapted for attachment to a detonation chamber of a pulsed detonation engine, wherein said detonation chamber has a longitudinal axis, a length, and a width, the diverging-converging nozzle comprising a diverging portion having a maximum diameter greater than said detonation chamber width and a converging portion having a diameter less than said maximum diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.