Abstract:

In order to achieve successful transition from deflagration to detonation within a short distance in the combustor of a multi-cycle pulse detonation engine （PDE）, and decrease the losses of flow and thrust which come from obstacle setting in the combustor, a prototype two-phase PDE is designed which is filled with the same fuel/air mixture in the main combustor and initiator，and the process of detonation and combustion is studied. The results show that when the initiator has a 45° divergent nozzle, detonation waves can propagate from the interface both upstream and downstream in the main combustor. The designed model can operate stably and periodically, and the maximal frequency is 66.7 Hz.

Key words: aerospace propulsion system, pulse detonation engine, detonation, pre-detonator, deflagration to detonation trasition