COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COMBUSTION PERFORMANCE USING PURE AND BLENDED HYDROCARBON FUELS IN A PULSE DETONATION ENGINE

A pulse detonation engine (PDE) is a supersonic propulsive device used in aerospace vehicles. PDE employs
periodic detonations to provide power or propulsion. In the present work, the Zeldovich–von Neumann–Doring
(ZND) model is used to assess PDE performance for pure hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon-blended fuels. The
combustion flame temperature ratio, detonation velocity, pressure ratio, and performance parameters like specific
thrust and specific impulse are analytically calculated for various fuels. The novelty of the present research is
the fact that thermophysical and performance characteristics of hydrocarbon fuels and of their blends have
approximately the same results as given in the NASA Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (NASA CEA) data.
All of the parameters' values fall within the acceptable range of the NASA CEA described values. The hydrocarbon
fuels such as propane, butane, kerosene, and methane are safe, clean-burning, nontoxic, great energy sources, and
are used as alternative hydrocarbon fuels in PDE.

Author:  Mahammadsalman Warimani, M. H. Azami, N. Alam, S. A. Khan, Suhas Patil, M. K. Ramis
Keywords:  analytical approach, hydrocarbon-blended fuel, pulse detonation engine, specific impulse, ZND model
Page:  1240