Downsizing of efficient bi-propellant rocket engine by using detonation combustion

• Project/Area Number: 17H06741
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Aerospace engineering
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Kawasaki Akira 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (20802242)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: デトネーション / 航空宇宙推進工学 / 回転デトネーションエンジン / 宇宙推進 / ロケットエンジン / RDE / 航空宇宙工学 / ロケット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to downsize bi-propellant rocket engines by utilizing detonation combustion characterized by significantly fast combustion completion. In rotating detonation engines (RDEs), which are a type of rocket engines utilizing the detonation combustion, the combustors typically had annular configurations and consisted of two coaxial cylinders to stabilize detonation waves within the combustor. However, through investigation of the effects of combustor sizes on the engine performance, it has been revealed that a simple cylindrical configuration, in which the combustor consists only of one cylinder, can exert equivalent engine performances to conventional annular combustors by setting the propellant flow rate appropriately for the combustor cross-sectional area.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で単円筒RDEが二重円筒RDEに匹敵する性能を発揮しうることが明らかとなったことから，RDEの更なる小型化が可能となる．単円筒構造は，燃焼器の熱設計の観点からも簡素なシステムの成立につながり，有用である．翻って宇宙推進工学の観点からは，従来実現が難しかった比推力性能の高い超小型ロケットエンジンへの端緒が開かれた点で学術的・社会的に意義深い．本研究を更に発展させることで，燃焼器のクラスタ化によるコスト低減や単機での小型衛星搭載による機動性向上に資することが期待される．

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A novel characteristic length of detonation relevant to supercritical diffraction (2019)
  • Author(s): A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara
  • Journal Title: Shock Waves Volume: - Issue: 1 Pages: 1-12
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00193-019-00890-7
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Experimental Propulsive Performance and Heating Environment of Rotating Detonation Engine with Various Throat Geometries (2019)
  • Author(s): K. Goto, J. Nishimura, A. Kawasaki, K. Matsuoka, J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki, D. Nakata, M. Uchiumi, and K. Higashino
  • Journal Title: Journal of Propulsion and Power Volume: 35 Pages: 213-223
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Optical Measurement of Fluid Motion in Semi-Valveless Pulse Detonation Combustor with High-Frequency Operation (2018)
  • Author(s): A. Kubota, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara, H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo, and T. Endo
  • Journal Title: Combustion Science and Technology Volume: - Issue: 2 Pages: 1-16
  • DOI: 10.1080/00102202.2018.1559837
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Critical Condition of Inner Cylinder Radius for Sustaining Rotating Detonation Waves in Rotating Detonation Engine Thruster (2018)
  • Author(s): A. Kawasaki, T. Inakawa, J. Kasahara, K. Goto, K. Matsuoka, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Volume: 印刷中
  • NAID: 120006631545
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Study on a Reflective Shuttling Detonation Wave in Fan-Shaped Two-Dimensional Combustor (2018)
  • Author(s): M. Yamaguchi, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara, H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Numerical Investigation on Propagation Behavior of Gaseous Detonation in Water Spray (2018)
  • Author(s): H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Effect of Anode Configuration on Hydrogen MPD Thruster Performance: A Numerical Study (2018)
  • Author(s): Tauchi, S., Kawasaki. A., Nakene, M., Kubota, K., Funaki, I.
  • Journal Title: Trans. JSASS, Aerospace Technology Japan Volume: 印刷中
  • NAID: 130006731637
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Propulsion Performance of Inner-Cylinder-Less Rotating Detonation Engine (2019)
  • Author(s): R. Yokoo, K. Goto, J. Kim, A. Kawasaki, K. Matsuoka, J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 57th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Experimental Performance Validation of a Rotating Detonation Engine toward a Flight Demonstration (2019)
  • Author(s): K. Goto, R. Yokoo, J. Kim, A. Kawasaki, K. Matsuoka and J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki, D. Nakata, M. Uchiumi
  • Organizer: 57th AIAA Aerospace Science Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Numerical investigation of the effect of water spray on irregular and regular gaseous detonation (2018)
  • Author(s): H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara
  • Organizer: 11th International Colloquium on Pulsed and Continuous Detonations
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Supersonic Combustion Induced by Reflective Shuttling Shock Wave in Fan-Shaped Two-Dimensional Combustor (2018)
  • Author(s): M. Yamaguchi, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara, H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo
  • Organizer: 37th International Symposium on Combustion
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Critical Condition of Inner Cylinder Radius for Sustaining Rotating Detonation Waves in Rotating Detonation Engine Thruster (2018)
  • Author(s): A. Kawasaki, T. Inakawa, J. Kasahara, K. Goto, K. Matsuoka, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 37th International Symposium on Combustion
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Thrust Measurement and Combustion Visualization of a Cylindrical Rotating Detonation Engine for Rocket Propulsion (2018)
  • Author(s): A. Kawsaki, T. Inakawa, K. Goto, K. Matsuoka, J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, and I. Funaki
  • Organizer: The 15th International Space Conference of Pacific-basin Societies
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Preliminary Experiments on Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine for Flight Demonstration Using Sounding Rocket (2018)
  • Author(s): K. Goto, J. Nishimura, J. Higashi, H. Taki, T. Ukai, Y. Hayamizu, K. Kikuchi, T. Yamada, S. Watanabe, K. Hotta, T. Inakawa, A. Kubota, M. Yamaguchi, T. Daicho, A. Kawasaki, K. Matsuoka, J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, and I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 56th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Study on Rotating Detonation Engine Performance in Low Ambient Pressure for Sounding Rocket Flight Experiment (2017)
  • Author(s): J. Kasahara, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, K. Goto, J. Nishimura, J. Higashi, H. Taki, T. Ukai, Y. Hayamizu, K. Hiroyuki, T. Yamada, S. Watanabe, K. Hotta, T. Inakawa, Y. Kubota, M. Yamaguchi, T. Daicho, A. Matsuo, I. Funaki, K. Yasuda, K. Mori, H. Yagihashi, D. Nakata, M. Uchiumi, and K. Higashino
  • Organizer: International Workshop on Detonation for Propulsion 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Development of 1D, time-dependent, multi-fluid model for Hall thruster discharge plasma (2017)
  • Author(s): A. Kawasaki, and K. Hara
  • Organizer: 35th International Electric Propulsion Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Pulse Detonation Operation at Kilohertz Frequency (2017)
  • Author(s): H. Taki, N. Hirota, K. Matsuoka, A. Kawasaki, J. Kasahara, H. Watanabe, A. Matsuo, and T. Endo
  • Organizer: 26th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Critical Condition for Detonation Diffraction with Stable and Unstable Mixtures (2017)
  • Author(s): J. Kasahara and A. Kawasaki
  • Organizer: 26th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Experimental Study on a Rotating Detonation Turbine Engine with an Axial Turbine (2017)
  • Author(s): H. Rhee, C. Ishiyama, J. Higashi, A. Kawasaki, K. Matsuoka, J. Kasahara, A. Matsuo, and I. Funaki
  • Organizer: 26th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems
  • Int'l Joint Research