Numerical analysis of micro ring-engine fluid dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents an idea and results of 2D and 3D numerical CFD simulations of the proposed ring-engine construction dedicated for air propulsion or generation of electric power. The engine is designed as the simplest construction realizing the idea of pulsating reaction chamber utilizing a constant volume combustion principle. An atypical fuel (hydrogen peroxide) is used in the analyzed construction. The proposed ring-engine has reaction chambers forming a part of a ring periodically filled by cooling air and hydrogen peroxide vapour. The H 2 O 2 is decomposed in exothermic reaction increasing pressure inside the chamber of constant volume. High pressure gas contents of the reaction chambers are periodically decompressed by jet nozzles generating torque. The paper contains the description of the ring-engine idea, the schematic engine geometry and a set of data visualizing pressure, velocity, temperature and species distribution inside the engine components being results of numerical simulations.