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<p>Future Navy Capabilities indicate the need for a supersonic cruise missile. Thus the need exists for a low  cost, light-weight, and efficient means of supersonic propulsion. NPS has been developing the Pulse Detonation  Engine, which in theory has a thermodynamic efficiency greater than 50% as compared to 35% for state of the art constant-pressure cycles currently in use in gas turbines/ramjets/scramjets. Nonetheless, there are two major problems in the development of this engine. These are the increase of the propulsive efficiency by removing the  oxygen-assisted initiator currently in use, and the reduction of internal total pressure losses caused by the highly  constrictive internal flow-path geometry currently required to promote the deflagration to detonation transition  (DDT). The aforementioned problems have been addressed and a viable design proposed through the implementation  of a novel Transient Plasma Ignition system and a split-flow path engine geometry as described in this work. Future  work will concentrate on the development of a performance measurement test rig to experimentally assess the designs  presented herein.
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<br>Subjects: Propulsion systems; Airplanes; Ramjet engines</div>
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Hall, Philip D.</div>
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