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Pulse Detonation Engines: The Future of Aviation

noah_fense writes "Popular Science is running an interesting article about the race to replace the jet turbine with a more efficient source of Mach-breaking airpower: the pulse-detonation engine. It works by detonating (instead of slow burning) fuel hundreds to thousands of times a second. PDE technology is poised to make supersonic passenger flights and space travel affordable. 'Pulse detonation is a hot topic in combustion research,' says Gabriel Roy of the Office of Naval Research. 'Compared with gas turbines, the PDE has a much simpler configuration. It has the capability of going from subsonic to supersonic using less fuel, and it's thermodynamically more efficient. But there are big engineering issues--thermal fatigue, noise. It's very challenging research.'"

20 of 354 comments (clear)

  1. Pulse detonation engines? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    I didn't know they've harnessed the power of CmdrTaco's taco farts!

  2. Knee-slapper by Faust7 · · Score: 3, Funny

    'Pulse detonation is a hot topic in combustion research,' says Gabriel Roy of the Office of Naval Research.

    Sounds like they're strained for humor over there.

    1. Re:Knee-slapper by I+don't+want+to+spen · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't start a 'flame' war ...

      --
      Don't go to a brothel if you want to buy broth
  3. untill the valves wear out by temojen · · Score: 5, Funny

    most of them probably won't make it across the english channel.

  4. Re:Aurora? by mao+che+minh · · Score: 1, Funny

    I thought it was supposed to use a rotating ball of gamma that was captured during the crash at Area 57? You know, the reptillians from Flecknom B in Sirius Sector created it and accidentally lost it in a reverse polarity trans-dimensional dump on Earth? I thought this was common knowledge?

  5. Pulse *detonation*? by neostorm · · Score: 4, Funny

    "...But there are big engineering issues--thermal fatigue, noise..." ...Potential explosions...

  6. If it pans out... by ReyTFox · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...we might finally get affordable supersonic jet transportation?

    I can't stand flights of over an hour or two myself, and it would probably encourage even greater mobility then we have today if it's cheap enough. For example, transcontinental dating.

  7. I was promised... by Guano_Jim · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...flying cars! Where the hell are my flying cars?

  8. PDE propulsion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is this what they are talking about? Dr. Fun

  9. Re:I wonder by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 3, Funny
    Considering his inventions (AC power)


    well if you can get power from an Anonymous Coward, slashdot should have the energy market cornered...
  10. Big engineering issues by SnappingTurtle · · Score: 5, Funny
    But there are big engineering issues--thermal fatigue, noise.

    I suspect that "blowing shit up" is another one of those big issues.

    --
    I've found that my posts don't format quite right w/o a sig.
  11. Re:Ellison can't do it, neither can these folks by ndogg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why have you been keeping the reindeer propulsion system a secret from the world? You should really consider putting it under the GPL for the world to benefit. Yeah, I know, you got laughed at when you tried to sell it, and so you see no potential profit from it, but that's exactly the reason why you need to GPL it! If you GPL your tech, then once people stop laughing, they'll see that's it actually works. The world could really use something like that.

    If you can get presents to all the world's children in one night, you certainly have something that can move faster than anything we have now.

    Speaking of children, I'm going to be taking care of a child this Christmas and he really, really wants a new NVidia card. Maybe you could come here early and drop it off so I can make sure it works on our computer! I'll be sure to not let him see it before Christmas, promise!

    --
    // file: mice.h
    #include "frickin_lasers.h"
  12. Safety Issues by Air-conditioned+cowh · · Score: 5, Funny

    I notice in the pictures that the lady standing next to the engine on the second page has no head.

    An engine that decapitates people is certainly very injurous to health.

  13. Re:I saw a prototype of a pulse detonation engine. by Dirtside · · Score: 5, Funny
    It sure looked loud.
    Ah, but the real question is, did it sound big?
    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  14. Grandmother by Kethinov · · Score: 2, Funny
    would chop fuel consumption by an amount that engineers would "kill their grandmothers" to get, Lidstone jokes
    I sure hope his grandmother wasn't reading that...
    --
    You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
  15. Re:Did my thesis on PDE's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Did my thesis on PDE's"....

    So, like, what are you?

    Some kind of rocket scientist or something?

  16. Scary picture by tsa · · Score: 2, Funny

    Have you seen the very weird picture of a woman with no head and a deformed right arm on page 2 of the article? I wonder if she stood too close when the engine was switched on.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  17. Yawn yawn! how about a pulse jet go-kart by tombrown · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/gokart.htm

  18. "Fasten your seat belts, we will Detonate.. by BigGerman · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...any moment now!"

  19. Re:Aurora?-Flying a "tuna"-fish by fehlschlag · · Score: 2, Funny

    Three things:
    Heat expansion of metals.
    Pipe-organs.
    Fluidics.
    I'll leave the rest to you


    PROFIT?