Review of Propulsion Applications and Numerical Simulations of the Pulsed Detonation Engine Concept

Here we review experimental and computational studies of the pulsed detonation engine concept (PDEC) and present results of our recent numerical study of this concept. The PDEC was proposed in the early 1940s for small engine applications; however, its potential was never realized due to a complicated, unsteady operation regime. In this study, we demonstrate the use of current advances in numerical simulation for the analysis of the PDEC. The high-thrust/engine volume ratio obtained in our simulations demonstrates promising potential of the pulsed detonation engine concept.

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