SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Combustion instabilities and secondary wave systems can affect the detonation wave(s) in a rotating detonation combustor (RDC) for augmentors and lead to reduced combustion and thermodynamic efficiencies. To improve the performance of RDCs, it is critical, therefore, to develop practical and robust passive suppression technology to mitigate these acoustic and secondary wave systems. A goal of the program is the development and demonstration of a design methodology for acoustic and secondary wave control in RDCs. The proposed research effort during the Base period will (i) design narrowband and broadband frequency acoustic suppression devices, evaluating the concepts at an early stage by use of testing in an impedance tube and shock tube in combination with concurrent numerical simulations, (ii) scale up promising acoustic concepts to test in the Purdue RDC under a wide range of operating conditions and acoustic signatures, and (iii) collaborate with external partners on the testing and evaluation of the acoustic suppression for external partner-inspired RDC architectures to be integrated into the Purdue RDC. Concurrent measurements and simulations will be performed to better understand how the acoustic control is working to further optimize the passive wave control. The proposed research effort during the Option period will (i) harden and test the acoustic control technology to withstand longer-duration hot-fire testing, utilizing our in-house expertise in ultra-high-temperature metals/ceramics and additive manufacturing to identify promising materials/designs that can survive in a detonation environment, and (ii) utilize the design methodology to scale up promising acoustic control concepts to test in external collaborators RDC ground-test facilities. This will lead to the development of a design and evaluation process that will prove important for assessing passive acoustic control techniques in RDCs. This will also lead to data on optimal design and placement of passive suppression techniques in the RDC.
