Study on a Rotary-Valved Four-Cylinder Pulse Detonation Rocket: Six Degree-of-Freedom Flight Measurement

Abstract

We constructed a rotary-valved four-cylinder PDR system (flight vehicle) for the flight demonstration. Total length and weight of the vehicle were 1910mm and approximately 33 kg with propellant and purge gas, respectively (detonation tube inner diameter and length: 37 mm and 800 mm, respectively). We investigated the thrust performance of the PDR system and the thrust-to-weight ratio on grand test. Propellant-based specific impulse of 131 s, time-averaged thrust of 256 N and thrust-to weight ratio of 0.8 were achieved [32]. The flight test using the newly-developed launch-recovery system was proposed and carried out. The system operated perfectly, and we successfully recovered the PDR without damage. It was confirmed that the rolling by rotating the rotary valve and significant vibration by pulse detonation had a low impact on the flight. The stable PDR operation and the detonation engine thrust in real flight condition (6-degree-of-freedom condition) were validated.