Development of a Wave Disk Engine Experimental Facility

Abstract

The Wave Disk Engine (WDE) is a revolutionary engine that works on the principles of unsteady flow and fast combustion, taking advantage of shock waves and constant-volume heat addition. The WDE references the Atkinson cycle (also called the Humphrey cycle), which combines both confined combustion, as in the Otto cycle, with complete gas expansion, as in the Brayton cycle. This new engine concept with few moving parts has the potential to significantly outperform existing heat engines. A research team at Michigan State University (MSU) has built a test cell with safety and instrumentation features to develop, test, and demonstrate a working, real-size WDE prototype. This paper provides some details of this effort and illustrates challenges and successes during development of a new engine concept. A description of this electromechanical testing facility including the computer control system, diagnostic techniques, and power measuring equipment is included. The data generated in this test cell will serve to further develop and optimize the WDE.