Reactive thrust generated by continuous detonation in the air ejection mode

Processes of continuous spin detonation and pulsed detonation, as well as combustion of a hydrogen–air mixture in an annular combustor 306 mm in diameter in the regime of air ejection are studied experimentally. The specific flow rates of hydrogen are 0.6–9.8 kg/(s$\cdot$m$^2$). It is found that the greatest specific impulses of thrust generated by the combustor are reached in the case of continuous spin detonation. On the average, they are greater than the corresponding values by a factor of 1.5 in the case of burning the mixture in streamwise detonation waves, by a factor of 2 in the case of conventional combustion (by a factor of 3 at the maximum thrust impulse of 2200 m/s), and by a factor of 10 in the case of exhaustion of cold hydrogen. A change in the specific flow rate of hydrogen beginning from $\approx$ 1.2 kg/(s $\cdot$ m$^2$) corresponding to the maximum thrust impulse decreases its value, and this decrease is more profound as the detonation limits in terms of the specific flow rate of hydrogen are approached. The maximum reactive thrust (83 N) is developed in the examined detonation chamber near the upper limit at the specific flow rate of hydrogen equal to 3 kg/(s $\cdot$ m$^2$).