Rocket rotating detonation engine flight demonstrator
Abstract
Purpose
Today’s modern liquid propellant rocket engines have a very complicated structure. They cannot be arbitrarily downsized, ensuring efficient propellants’ mixing and combustion. Moreover, the thermodynamic cycle’s efficiency is relatively low. Utilizing detonation instead of deflagration could lead to a significant reduction of engine chamber dimensions and mass. Nowadays, laboratory research is conducted in the field of rotating detonation engine (RDE) testing worldwide. The aim of this paper is to cover the design of a flight demonstrator utilizing rocket RDE technology.
Design/methodology/approach
It presents the key project iterations made during the design of the gaseous oxygen and methane-propelled rocket. One of the main goals was to develop a rocket that could be fully recoverable. The recovery module uses a parachute assembly. The paper describes the rocket’s main subsystems. Moreover, vehicle visualizations are presented. Simple performance estimations are also shown.
Findings
This paper shows that the development of a small, open-structure, rocket RDE-powered vehicle is feasible.
Research limitations/implications
Flight propulsion system experimentation is on-going. However, first tests were conducted with lower propellant feeding pressures than required for the first launch.
Practical implications
Importantly, the vehicle can be a test platform for a variety of technologies. The rocket’s possible further development, including educational use, is proposed.
Originality/value
Up-to-date, no information about any flying vehicles using RDE propulsion systems can be found. If successful in-flight experimentation was conducted, it would be a major milestone in the development of next-generation propulsion systems.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work is based on results of a joint project by the Space Technology Department of the Institute of Aviation and the Division of Aircraft Engines of the Institute of Heat Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) with a role played by the members of the Students’ Rocketry Group of the WUT Students’ Space Association. The project is an element of the SSRP. It was developed thanks to the funding by the Institute of Aviation and Institute of Heat Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology. Valuable help was given by colleagues from both institutions. In particular, great support was provided by Bartkowiak, Sobczak and Kublik. The authors would also like to thank all of the members of the SSRP, who committed to the development of the rocket RDE technology demonstrator.
Citation
Okninski, A., Kindracki, J. and Wolanski, P. (2016), "Rocket rotating detonation engine flight demonstrator", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 88 No. 4, pp. 480-491. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-07-2014-0106
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited