Delvin Ogando, Gavriel Pincus

Mrs. Conlin

Engineeing Applications

13 December, 2016

Final Problem Statement

Ever since the its invention by the Germans in WW2, the pulse jet has seen innovations

the world over and to this day still can potentially be improved. Originally the pulse jet was a

method for delivering an explosive payload developed by the Nazis during WW2 and used to

create the V-1 Buzz bomb. This original pulse jet was loud and very inefficient when it came

to fuel consumption. As a result of this conclusion I propose an engineering problem which

would explore the impact of different types of fuel on the efficiency of a pulse jet engine. As

stated, valveless pulse jets can provide thrust in different fashions ranging from propane, diesel,

or methanol sources. Based on these fuel mixtures, the most efficient fuel source for energy

output and thrust values can be determined.

During the beginning of my research I saw many interesting facts when discussing the

difference of fuel efficiency and energy efficiency. When it comes to fuel efficiency the pulse jet

engine is very great at doing this job seeing as it will consume every last drop of fuel in order to

continue operation. This fuel efficiency is on par with a Turbojet engine which rivals the pulsejet

in many ways. However, when it came to energy efficiency the pulsejet is very subpar seeing as

it leaks energy in many different fashions. One of these fashions is the radiant energy that is

wasted through heat produced by the running of the engine itself. This radient heat shows that
potential energy that could have been used for thrust is being squandered. In addition to this it

shows why some pulsejets have started being used by companies to quickly dry biomass

materials and other structures due to their inherent ability to produce such hot operating

temperatures.

When it comes to jet inefficiency compared to internal combustion engines, the pulsejet

falls short. When compared to a turbojet, a pulsejet is a fourth as efficient and at the same time

consumes the same amount of fuel. In addition to its inherent inefficiency, the pulsejet also

suffers from power drops once less than 30 lbs. of thrust is attained. Once it goes under that mark

the engine becomes very erratic and flames out with little provocation. As for fuel the pulsejet

consumes fuel at a very high rate. This is due mostly to the simplicity of the design. Its fuel

efficiency is so poor that in certain cases a piston engine driven propeller can generate the same

amount of thrust with much less fuel.

Because of the initial way that a pulsejet works, it could be described as being inherently

flawed. This is due to it requiring adequate speed in order to work well. If one wishes to start a

pulsejet on the ground, they would need a source of accelerated compressed air. Even if the

pulsejet can be started at a standstill, the thrust produced once running is very meager. Only once

the speed of the overall engine increases is when the output for increases due to more of a

compression gradient being achieved within the combustion chamber. Even though the pulsejet

has many downsides, as we see onward into the future that could not be the case. As reported by

NASA and other aerospace companies, the Detonation engine could potentially revolutionize

the way we think about jet travel due to the efficiency of the design which is based off of the

pulsejet concept.