Rotary Detonation Engine Combustion Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rotary detonation engine disclosed in PTL 2 does not account for operations in environments where air can be taken from the atmosphere and where oxidant cannot be taken, such as in outer space.
Innovation Solution
A rotary detonation engine is designed with an outer cylinder, a base featuring fuel and oxidant injection ports, an inner cylinder, and a mechanism to switch the combustion space or flow direction, allowing the engine to operate in both jet combustion and rocket combustion modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the engine is designed for rocket combustion mode with onboard oxidant storage, then it can operate in outer space where air cannot be taken, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The engine is designed with dual combustion modes (jet combustion and rocket combustion) using the same basic combustor structure. The oxidant jet ports can intake air from the atmosphere during jet combustion mode or supply stored oxidant during rocket combustion mode, allowing the engine to operate in both atmospheric and space environments without requiring fundamentally different combustion systems
Solution Approach 2:
The engine incorporates a movable partition that can dynamically switch the combustion chamber configuration between two modes. The partition moves to different positions to either connect the oxidant jet ports to the atmosphere (jet combustion) or to the onboard oxidant storage (rocket combustion), enabling real-time adaptation to different operational environments
2Device complexity
If the engine uses jet combustion mode taking air from atmosphere, then the device complexity is reduced, but it cannot operate in outer space where air cannot be taken
Solution Approach 1:
The engine incorporates dual combustion modes (jet combustion and rocket combustion) using the same basic combustor structure. The oxidant jet ports can intake air from the atmosphere during jet combustion mode or supply stored oxidant during rocket combustion mode, allowing the engine to operate in both atmospheric and space environments without requiring fundamentally different combustion systems
Solution Approach 2:
The engine incorporates a movable partition that can dynamically switch the combustion chamber configuration between two modes. The partition moves to different positions to either connect the oxidant jet ports to the atmosphere (jet combustion) or to the onboard oxidant storage (rocket combustion), enabling real-time adaptation to different operational environments
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The engine effectively switches between jet combustion and rocket combustion modes, enabling operation in various environments while maintaining high thrust and suppressing thrust variation.
Implementation Method 1
a base (3) including a plurality of fuel injection ports (25) connected to the outer cylinder (4), located in an annular shape and configured to jet fuel, and a plurality of oxidant jet ports (26) located in an annular shape and configured to jet oxidant
Implementation Method 2
a rotary detonation engine that switches the combustion mode between the jet combustion mode and the rocket combustion mode
Implementation Method 3
rotary detonation engine that continuously jet fuel and oxidant to increase the ignition energy such that detonation waves propagate in a spiral form
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating detonation engine comprising: an outer cylinder that extends in an axial direction; a base that is connected to the outer cylinder, and comprises a plurality of fuel injection ports positioned in a circular ring shape and injecting a fuel, and a plurality of oxidizing agent injection ports positioned in a circular ring shape and injecting an oxidizing agent; an inner cylinder that is positioned in the outer cylinder, and is positioned in the axial direction relative to the base; and a mechanism that switches a combustion space, wherein the combustion space is switched in accordance with a combustion mode.