General Electric Company
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROTATING DETONATION COMBUSTION

Abstract:

A rotating detonation combustion (RDC) assembly and propulsion system, and method for operation, are provided. The RDC assembly includes a detonation path extended from a detonation zone at which a predetonation device is in operative communication with a fuel/oxidizer mixture at a detonation chamber. The method includes generating a first fuel/oxidizer equivalence ratio of detonation gases at a first portion of the detonation path, wherein the first portion of the detonation path is defined along a first direction from the detonation zone along which a detonation wave propagates; generating a second fuel/oxidizer equivalence ratio of detonation gases at the second portion of the detonation path, wherein the second fuel/oxidizer equivalence ratio is different from the first fuel/oxidizer equivalence ratio, and wherein the second portion of the detonation path is defined from the first portion to the predetonation device; and sustaining the detonation wave via the second fuel/oxidizer equivalence ratio of detonation gases at the second portion of the detonation path.