Quantification of the Loss Mechanisms of a Ram Rotating Detonation Engine
Thomas Kaemming, Matthew Fotia, John Hoke, Stephen A. Schumaker, Frederick R. Schauer
Abstract
Over the past several decades, researchers have explored the operability and performance of pressure gain combustion devices, including pulsed detonation engines (PDE) and rotating detonation engines (RDE). Some practical operation has now been demonstrated and analytical tools have been developed and validated against static, direct-connect testing. However, there remains uncertainty over the performance capability of a real ram RDE. This paper examines the performance that can be expected from a ram RDE by studying the ideal cycle performance and the various loss mechanisms inherent in the system to arrive at a realistic performance prediction. The resultant ram RDE performance predictions will be compared to the performance of a conventional ramjet with realistic losses.