What is a Pulse Detonation Engine?

One of the newest and most exciting areas of pulse-jet development is the

Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE). While they work on similar principles to a

regular pulsejet, the PDE has one very fundamental difference -- it detonates

the air/fuel mixture rather than just allowing it to simply deflagrate (burn

vigorously).

Advantages

New TechnologyImproved fuel efficiencyGreater operational range

Higher AltitudesHigher Mach Numbers (0 – 4+)Longer Flight Range

Reduced Flight CostsSimpler Mechanical ConstructionNo Pre - Compression RequiredDual Operational Mode for Single-Stage to Orbit (SSTO) Vehicle

Conceptual Advantages II

• High Thrust Density• High Specific Impulse• Significant Static

Thrust, • Natural Geometry for

Integration into a Combined Cycle Engine

How do PDEs work?

Design Challenges

• DDT (Deflagration to Detonation Transition)

• Inlet pressure ratio

• Valve configurations

• Overall injector ignition timing

• Potential Fuels

• Material selection