×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

detonation cycle gas turbine

detonation cycle gas turbine

detonation cycle gas turbine

(OP)
Did do a search to see if it has been discussed, nada.
Just wondered if this is really anything new? Anyone have any other knowledge of it? Any future? Comments?

http://www.foundrymag.com/full_story.php?WID=15950

Progress Noted on 540-hp Engine Prototype

Energy-, environment-efficient engine seen applicable in U.S. and abroad

January 2, 2006 — Alpha Engines Corp., a company that has patented a "detonation cycle gas turbine engine" design, together with Turbine Truck Engines Inc., reports progress in manufacturing a 540-hp prototype. CostCast Inc., an aluminum casting operation in Haines City, FL, is producing the prototype, and Alpha and TTE recently observed the progress on the program.

Turbine Truck Engines is developing the energy- and environmentally efficient truck engine for mass-market use in the U.S. and abroad. It reports the engine can operate with "any known fuel source (gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol or LPG) or fuel mixture, yet needs zero coolant, lube oil, filters, or pumps." The lightweight turbine design has few moving parts, which reduces maintenance costs, and the "cyclic detonation process produces a complete combustion of fuel-oxidation mixtures, resulting in greater fuel economy and fewer harmful exhaust emissions."

TTE contracted Alpha to design, construct, and test the prototype.

"We are extremely pleased with the progress to date," reported CEO Michael Rouse of TTE, during recent vist to CostCast. "All component parts have been cast, including the detonation cylinders, housings, and turbines." Rouse was joined by Turbine Truck president Joseph Deters and Alpha Engines president Robert Scragg.

"Cost Cast possesses the ability and expertise to produce high-quality aluminum castings, resulting in an engine that is lighter and easier to manage," stated Scragg. "The completion of casting the DCGT component parts has enabled Alpha to begin assembling the engine in early January."

CostCast Inc. manufactures sand castings for aerospace, railroad, OEM, marine, laser-optic guidance system, construction, traffic control, and other specialized manufacturing applications.

by Foundry M&T staff (fdryeditor@penton.com)

RE: detonation cycle gas turbine

Not sure what the details of this particular concept is, but there has been pulse detonation engine research going on for a while:
http://www.ge.com/research/grc_2_7_1.html
(A PDE would be lighter (fewer moving parts) and more efficient than current jet propulsion. But obviously they're not there yet.)

RE: detonation cycle gas turbine

Nothing new here.  Alpha Engines has been trying (unsuccessfully) to sell that engine for over 10 years.  You can take a look at their website, but I seriously doubt that what they are doing is legitimate.

http://www.turbinetruckengines.com/video.htm

On the other hand, there is some legitimate work going in turbine Pulse Detonation Engines (PDE's), by companies such as Pratt & Whitney and GE.  While PDE's demonstate low SFC and emissions, they are also extremely noisy and difficult to control.  Thus they have no yet been commercialized.

For recip piston engines, HCCI is a combustion process similar to detonation.  However, it presents similar problems:  noise and difficulty in control.

RE: detonation cycle gas turbine

(OP)
Thank you!
I knew y'all would point me in the right direction.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources