Performance Characterization of a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine

Walters, Ian V.; Lemcherfi, Aaron; Gejji, Rohan M.; Heister, Stephen D.; Slabaugh, Carson D.

doi:10.2514/1.b38087

Performance Characterization of a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine

Journal Article · Sun Oct 18 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Journal of Propulsion and Power (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/1.b38087· OSTI ID:1774972

Walters, Ian V. ^[1]; Lemcherfi, Aaron ^[2]; Gejji, Rohan M. ^[2]; Heister, Stephen D. ^[2]; Slabaugh, Carson D. ^[2]

Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Purdue University
Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

An experimental study of a rotating detonation engine (RDE) operating with natural gas and air at elevated chamber pressures and air preheat temperatures was conducted to quantify its performance at conditions representative of land-based power generation gas turbine engines. Here, the thrust produced by the combustor was measured to characterize its work output potential. High-frequency pressure transducers and broadband chemiluminescence measurements of the flame provided information about the wave structure and dynamics. Analysis of common performance metrics demonstrated the necessity of normalizing any RDE performance parameter by the driving system potential, typically the reactant manifold pressure. Application of a thermodynamic performance model to a generic RDE identified the area ratio between the RDE exhaust and injection throats as the primary parameter affecting delivered pressure gain. The model was further applied to draw comparison with experimental measurements of net pressure gain for identical flow conditions. Only one of the two tested injector configurations followed the predicted trends, suggesting that performance of the second was governed by physical processes other than the reactant thermodynamics. Although an absolute pressure gain was not demonstrated, it is promising that the natural gas–air RDE delivered up to 90% of the theoretical performance.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Oil & Natural Gas

Grant/Contract Number:: FE0025343

OSTI ID:: 1774972

Journal Information:: Journal of Propulsion and Power (Online), Journal Name: Journal of Propulsion and Power (Online) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 37; ISSN 1533-3876

Publisher:: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (36)

Airbreathing rotating detonation wave engine cycle analysis Braun, Eric M.; Lu, Frank K.; Wilson, Donald R. Aerospace Science and Technology, Vol. 27, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2012.08.010	journal	June 2013
Chemiluminescence imaging of an optically accessible non-premixed rotating detonation engine Rankin, Brent A.; Richardson, Daniel R.; Caswell, Andrew W. Combustion and Flame, Vol. 176 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2016.09.020	journal	February 2017
Self-sustained, high-frequency detonation wave generation in a semi-bounded channel Schwinn, Kyle; Gejji, Rohan; Kan, Brandon Combustion and Flame, Vol. 193 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2018.03.022	journal	July 2018
Experimental evidence of H2/O2 propellants powered rotating detonation waves Sosa, Jonathan; Burke, Robert; Ahmed, Kareem A. Combustion and Flame, Vol. 214 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2019.12.031	journal	April 2020
Performance analysis of a rotating detonation combustor based on stagnation pressure measurements Bach, Eric; Stathopoulos, Panagiotis; Paschereit, Christian Oliver Combustion and Flame, Vol. 217 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2020.03.017	journal	July 2020
High-speed imaging of wave modes in an RDC Bohon, M. D.; Bluemner, R.; Paschereit, C. O. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 102 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2018.10.031	journal	April 2019
Investigation of rotating detonation combustor operation with H 2 -Air mixtures Anand, Vijay; St. George, Andrew; Driscoll, Robert International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 41, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.11.041	journal	January 2016
Fluid dynamics of rotating detonation engines with hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels Schwer, Douglas; Kailasanath, K. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 34, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2012.05.046	journal	January 2013
Detonative propulsion Wolański, Piotr Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 34, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2012.10.005	journal	January 2013
Single-ended mid-infrared laser-absorption sensor for time-resolved measurements of water concentration and temperature within the annulus of a rotating detonation engine Peng, Wen Yu; Cassady, Séan J.; Strand, Christopher L. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 37, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2018.05.021	journal	January 2019
The Detonation Phenomenon Lee, John H. S. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511754708	book	January 2008
The development of an optically accessible, high-power combustion test rig Slabaugh, Carson D.; Pratt, Andrew C.; Lucht, Robert P. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867084	journal	March 2014
Automated image processing method to quantify rotating detonation wave behavior Bennewitz, J. W.; Bigler, B. R.; Schumaker, S. A. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 90, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5067256	journal	June 2019
FLOX® Combustion at High Power Density and High Flame Temperatures Lammel, Oliver; Schütz, Harald; Schmitz, Guido Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 132, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4001825	journal	August 2010
OH* Chemiluminescence Imaging of the Combustion Products From a Methane-Fueled Rotating Detonation Engine Tobias, Jonathan; Depperschmidt, Daniel; Welch, Cooper Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 141, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041143	journal	October 2018
Investigating Instabilities in a Rotating Detonation Combustor Operating With Natural Gas–Hydrogen Fuel Blend—Effect of Air Preheat and Annulus Width Roy, Arnab; Bedick, Clinton R.; Ferguson, Donald H. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 141, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4044980	journal	October 2019
Thermodynamic model of a rotating detonation engine Nordeen, C. A.; Schwer, D.; Schauer, F. Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol. 50, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010508214050128	journal	September 2014
Pressure measurement by fast-response piezo-electric sensors during continuous spin detonation in the combustor Bykovskii, F. A.; Zhdan, S. A.; Vedernikov, E. F. Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol. 53, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010508217010105	journal	January 2017
Scaling factor in continuous spin detonation of syngas–air mixtures Bykovskii, F. A.; Zhdan, S. A.; Vedernikov, E. F. Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol. 53, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010508217020095	journal	March 2017
Continuous Detonation of Methane/Hydrogen–Air Mixtures in an Annular Cylindrical Combustor Bykovskii, F. A.; Zhdan, S. A.; Vedernikov, E. F. Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol. 54, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010508218040111	journal	July 2018
Modal Transitions in Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines Bennewitz, John W.; Bigler, Blaine R.; Pilgram, Jessica J. International Journal of Energetic Materials and Chemical Propulsion, Vol. 18, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1615/IntJEnergeticMaterialsChemProp.2019027880	journal	January 2019
Continuous Spin Detonations Bykovskii, Fedor A.; Zhdan, Sergey A.; Vedernikov, Evgenii F. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 22, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.17656	journal	November 2006
Rotating Detonation Engine Performance Model for Rocket Applications Stechmann, David P.; Heister, Stephen D.; Harroun, Alexis J. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 56, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.A34313	journal	May 2019
Rotating Detonation Wave Propulsion: Experimental Challenges, Modeling, and Engine Concepts Lu, Frank K.; Braun, Eric M. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 30, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B34802	journal	September 2014
Influence of Unsteadiness on the Analysis of Pressure Gain Combustion Devices Paxson, Daniel E.; Kaemming, Tom Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 30, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B34913	journal	March 2014
High-Fidelity Simulations of Pressure-Gain Combustion Devices Based on Detonations Kailasanath, K.; Schwer, D. A. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 33, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B36169	journal	January 2017
Experimental Performance Scaling of Rotating Detonation Engines Operated on Gaseous Fuels Fotia, Matthew L.; Hoke, John; Schauer, Fred Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 33, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B36213	journal	September 2017
Thermodynamic Modeling of a Rotating Detonation Engine Through a Reduced-Order Approach Kaemming, Tom; Fotia, Matthew L.; Hoke, John Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 33, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B36237	journal	September 2017
Operability of a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine Walters, Ian V.; Journell, Christopher L.; Lemcherfi, Aaron Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 36, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B37735	journal	May 2020
High-Speed Diagnostics in a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine Journell, Christopher L.; Gejji, Rohan M.; Walters, Ian V. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 36, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B37740	journal	July 2020
Design and Development of the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory at Purdue University Meyer, Scott E.; Heister, Stephen D.; Slabaugh, Carson 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2017-4965	conference	July 2017
Transducer Installation Effects on Pressure Measurements in PGC Devices Gejji, Rohan M.; Walters, Ian V.; Beard, Sarah 2018 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2018 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2018-0158	conference	January 2018
Determining the Pressure Gain of Pressure Gain Combustion Kaemming, Thomas A.; Paxson, Daniel E. 2018 Joint Propulsion Conference https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2018-4567	conference	July 2018
A Parametric Analysis of a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Cycle Using CEA Kimura, Randon C.; Paulson, Eric J.; Sankaran, Venke AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2019-1741	conference	January 2019
Impact of Inlet Area Ratio on the Operation of an Axial Air Inlet Configuration Rotating Detonation Combustor Chacon, Fabian; Feleo, Alexander; Gamba, Mirko AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019 Forum https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2019-4450	conference	August 2019
Demonstrated Low Loss and Low Equivalence Ratio Operation of a Rotating Detonation Engine for Power Generation Stout, Jeffrey B.; Baratta, Alexander AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-1173	conference	January 2020

Similar Records

Performance Characterization of a Natural Gas-Air Rotating Detonation Engine at Elevated Pressure

Conference · Fri Aug 16 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019 Forum · OSTI ID:1774974

Operability of a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine

Journal Article · Thu Feb 20 19:00:00 EST 2020 · Journal of Propulsion and Power (Online) · OSTI ID:1774971

Parametric Survey of a Natural Gas-Air Rotating Detonation Engine at Elevated Pressure

Conference · Sat Jan 05 23:00:00 EST 2019 · AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum · OSTI ID:1774976

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS

Performance Characterization of a Natural Gas–Air Rotating Detonation Engine

Citation Formats

References (36)

Similar Records

Related Subjects