Date of Award
3-23-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering
Department
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
First Advisor
Marc D. Polanka, PhD.
Abstract
Current power generators consume a large portion of the aircrafts usable volume and they are also extremely heavy for the amount of power that they can produce. Therefore, a need for compact, lightweight Auxiliary Power Units (APU) with high power density has arisen. A novel solution to this problem comes in the form of coupling a Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) with a turbine generator. A new type of RDE referred to as the Radial Rotating Detonation Engine (RRDE) has been developed to fill this need. This project marks the first radial ow RDE successfully operated in the United States, and also serves as the first instance of this layout being used for power extraction. Operation of the RRDE showed a possible shifting in the location of the detonation wave within the channel, which could improve the operability of the device. Finally, as an APU, the RRDE showed significant increases in power density, up to 10x, over conventional gas turbine based APUs. This development opens up a new opportunity for the Air Force to rapidly generate power with a high power density APU for use in various applications such as airborne directed energy weapons.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENY-MS-18-M-266
DTIC Accession Number
AD1056581
Recommended Citation
Huff, Riley, "Design, Buildup, and Testing of a Radial Rotating Detonation Engine for a Compact Auxiliary Power Unit" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 1773.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/1773