Improving the performance of an active valve resonant pulse combustor

The following study describes an experimental investigation into the key parameters influencing the performance and operation of an actively driven resonant pulse combustor. The experimental apparatus is composed of a rotary valved pulse combustor with modular components, including the capability of modifying the convective distance between the active valve and fuel injection. The performance was characterized through pitot probe measurement of the averaged stagnation pressure at the combustor exit, measurement of the dynamic combustion chamber pressure, and recording of an ion probe signal to indicate heat release timing. Results demonstrate that small changes in relevant characteristic time scales (i.e. inlet air convection time) can have a meaningful impact on the device operation and performance. This suggests that moderate design optimization may result in a significant performance improvements.