(9/19/07) Juliett Davitian has won the 2007 AIAA Outstanding Aerospace Engineering M.S. Student Award.
Congratulations!

(06/07) Juliett Davitian has won the AE outstanding M.S. recipient award and Hann Mao has won the AE outstanding B.S. recipient award for 2007. Congratulations!

(06/06) Leo Alves has won the MAE outstanding PhD recipient award and Marcus George has won the AE outstanding MS recipient award for 2006. Congratulations!

(05/06) Ann Karagozian has completed chairing two studies for the Air Force.

(09/05) Juliett Davitian has won a three year NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship, commencing in the Fall of 2005.

(5/05) Ann Karagozian has been appointed the Vice Chair of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.

(1/05) Srinivasan Dattarajan MS '02 , PhD '04 won the 2004 Best Student Presentation award from the AIAA Microgravity Technical Committee.

(5/12/04) Sevan Megerian Wins First Place at AIAA Student Conference, 2004.

(8/03) Lydia Treviño featured in UCLA Engineer—

(6/03) Robert Lobbia has received a special scholarship award from Aviation Week & Space Technology—the Next Century of Flight (NCF) award.

Click here for the latest group publications.

Researchers: Prof. Ann Karagozian, Dr. Jean-Luc Cambier (AFRL), Christopher Zeinch (grad), Timothy Roth (grad), Lord Cole (grad) Former Researchers: Dr Xing He (grad), Peter Hwang (grad), Dr. Ron Fedkiw (postdoc), Mark Lee (grad) Research Supported By:   NASA Dryden Air Force Office of Scientific Research

These computational studies examine transient, reactive compressible flow phenomena associated with the pulse detonation engine or PDE. Simulations of the pulsejet, a related device that involves deflagrations rather than detonations, has also been performed. The present emphasis explores magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) augmentation of PDE performance.

The PDE is an intermittent combustion engine that relies on unsteady detonation wave propagation for combustion and compression elements of the propulsive cycle.

The schematical configuration of a typical PDE engine, highlighting major features.

The present computations focus on high order numerical simulations of the generic PDE configuration with simplified and complex reaction kinetics, so that estimates of engine performance may be made. Both one- and two-dimensional simulations of the high speed reactive flow phenomena are performed and compared to determine the applicability of 1D simulations for performance characterization. Characteristic engine performance parameters, in addition to engine noise estimates within and external to the detonation tube, have been computed.

A clip from a video of the evolution of the PDE's 2D pressure field (for a full H2-air reaction) numerically computed (click image to run *.avi movie file, 2.5MB)		Video of the centerline pressure as a function of time in the tube (click image to run *.avi movie file, 0.5MB)

The current emphasis in these studies focuses on use of high resolution numerical methods and simplified modesl to explore reactive and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow phenomena and performance associated with a range of alternative propulsion devices. These include MHD-augmented Pulse Detonation Rocket Engine (PDRE) concepts and the Pulse Detonation Rocket-Induced MHD Ejector (PDRIME) Concept.

Publications:

1. The Pulse Detonation Rocket Induced MHD Ejector (PDRIME) Concept, Cambier, J.-L., Roth, T., Zeineh, C., and Karagozian, A. R., 44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Paper AIAA-2008-4688, July, 2008.
   
   
2. Pulse Detonation Engine Simulations with Alternative Geometries and Reaction Kinetics, He, X. and Karagozian, A. R., Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 852-861, 2006.
   
   
3. Performance and Noise Characteristics of Pulse Detonation Engines, AIAA Paper AIAA-2004-0469, 42nd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, January, 2004.
   
   
4. Numerical Simulation of Pulse Detonation Engine Phenomena, He, X. and Karagozian, A. R., Journal of Scientific Computing, Vol. 19, Nos. 1-3, pp.201-224, December, 2003.
   
   
5. Detonation Engine Simulations with Alternative Reaction Kinetics and Geometrical Features, He, X. and Karagozian, A. R., Paper 03F-70, Western States Section/The Combustion Institute Fall Meeting, UCLA, October, 2003.
   
   
6. Numerical Simulation of Pulse Detonation Engine Reactive Flow Processes, He, X. and Karagozian, A.R., Paper No. C-29, 3rd Joint Meeting of the U.S. Section of the Combustion Institute, March, 2003.
   
   
7. Reactive Flow Phenomena in Pulse Detonation Engines, He, X. and Karagozian, A. R., Paper no. AIAA-2003-1171, 41^st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, January, 2003.
   
   
8. Numerical Resolution of Pulsating Detonation Waves, Hwang, P., Fedkiw, R. P., Merriman, B., Aslam, T. D., Karagozian, A. R., and Osher, S. J., Combustion Theory and Modelling, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 217-240, September, 2000.