Experimental Proof of Concept of a Noncircular Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) for Propulsion Applications

A noncircular engine cross-section could provide great flexibility in the integration of propulsion into the airframe. In this work, a tri-arc RDE was constructed and tested as an example of noncircular cross-sectioned RDE. The operational characteristics of detonation wave propagation and thrust performance were investigated and compared with an equivalent circular RDE under the same operating conditions. High-speed camera images, short-time Fourier transform (STFT), and fast Fourier transform (FFT) were used for the investigation. The tri-arc RDE showed very similar characteristics to the circular RDE but exhibited slightly better stability and propulsion performance than the circular RDE. We consider that repeated curvature changes positively affect the stability of detonation wave propagation. The experimental data show contradicting results from the numerical analysis with a homogeneous mixture assumption in which the detonation pressures at the convex corner were greater than those at the concave corner. It is reasoned that the tri-arc injector design provides a non-uniform mixture composition, resulting in a strong detonation at the convex corner. Overall, the noncircular RDE of a tri-arc shaped cross-section is demonstrated, one which performs slightly better than an ordinary circular-shaped RDE both in detonation stability and performance.