Thermal tests of a pulse-detonation high-speed burner

Abstract

The steady-state temperatures of the elements of a high-speed pulse-detonation burner (HSPDB) running on a natural gas-air mixture were measured in the course of long-term tests of the burner operating in the pulse-detonation mode without forced cooling at a frequency of 2 Hz. Knowledge of the steady-state temperatures is required for the development of an energy-efficient forced cooling system for the HSPDB. The experiments have shown that the maximum steady-state temperature (∼500°C) is reached after approximately 200 s of operation at internal elements of the HSPDB, more specifically, turbulizing obstacles placed in that part of the burner duct through which the detonation wave travels periodically. The HSPDB wall in this part of the burner duct is heated to 420°C within ∼1000 s. In the part of the burner duct through which the deflagration wave travels periodically, the HSPDB walls and internal elements are heated to a steady-state temperature not exceeding 330°C. The results show that the forced cooling of the HSPDB is generally required only for those parts of the burner duct through which the detonation wave passes periodically.