Experimental Study of a Hypergolically Ignited Liquid Bipropellant Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine

Authors

Wesly S. Anderson, Purdue University
Stephen D. Heister, Purdue University
Brandon Kan, Purdue University
Carl R. Hartsfield, Air Force Institute of Technology

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2020

Abstract

A liquid bipropellant rotating detonation rocket engine was successfully test fired. The 6.5-in.-diam engine operates on a mixture of rocket-grade hydrogen peroxide and triglyme. Ignition is accomplished hypergolically, with the addition of a promoter to the fuel. Eight cases of spontaneously initiated, single-wave, rotating detonations were observed. Detonation wave speeds were near or exceeding Chapman–Jouguet calculations. Evidence of condensed-phase reactions was also seen, damaging hardware in short order. Both a rotating detonation and a bulk-slapping mode characterized the engine operation

Comments

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DOI

10.2514/1.B37666

Source Publication

Journal of Propulsion and Power ( ISSN 0748-4658 | eISSN 1533-3876)

Recommended Citation

Anderson, W. S., Heister, S. D., Kan, B., & Hartsfield, C. (2020). Experimental Study of a Hypergolically Ignited Liquid Bipropellant Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 36(6), 851–861. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B37666