The Pulse Detonation Rocket Induced MHD Ejector (PDRIME) Concept (Preprint)

Abstract : Pulse detonation engines (PDEs) have received significant attention due to their potentially superior performance over constant pressure engines. However due to the unsteady chamber pressure, the PDE system will either be over- or under-expanded for the majority of the cycle, with substantial performance loss in atmospheric flight applications. Thrust augmentation, such as PDE-ejector configurations, can potentially alleviate this problem. Here, we study the potential benefits of using Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) augmentation by extracting energy from a Pulse Detonation Rocket Engine (PDRE) and applying it to a separate stream. In this PDRE-MHD Ejector (PDRIME) concept, the energy extracted from a generator in the nozzle is applied directly to a by-pass air stream through an MHD accelerator. The air stream is first shocked and raised to high-temperature, allowing thermal ionization to occur after appropriate seeding. The shock-processing of the high-speed air stream is accomplished by using the high initial PDRE nozzle pressures of the under-expanded phase. Thus, energy could be efficiently transferred from one stream to another. The present simulations involve use of a simple blowdown model for PDE behavior, coupled to quasi-1D and 2D numerical simulations of flow and MHD processes in the rest of the PDRIME configuration. Results show potential performance gains but some challenges associated with achieving these gains.

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