Improvement of internal combustion engine performance using a new combustion technology based on detonation.
Manufacturing (Saitama University Research Seed Collection 2025-27 p.58)
Keywords: Internal combustion engine, aerospace propulsion engine, detonation, shock wave, combustion, gas explosion, hydrogen combustion.
Detonation is an explosive combustion that propagates through combustible gas at speeds of 2 to 3 km per second, generating extremely high temperatures (up to 3000 K), pressures (up to several tens of atmospheres), and flow rates (up to 1000 m/s) due to the integrated nature of shock waves and combustion. This is a significant difference from normal combustion, where pressure changes little before and after the reaction. We are researching detonation application technology for aerospace propulsion engines that leverages this characteristic. By rapidly increasing pressure with strong shock waves and igniting combustion instantaneously, we expect to achieve miniaturization and higher efficiency of engines. Particularly, since detonation is more likely to occur in hydrogen combustion, it is an important phenomenon not only in the aerospace field but also from the perspectives of engineering applications and safety engineering in a hydrogen society. We have a comprehensive understanding of application technologies that utilize the characteristics of detonation, including foundational research that supports these applications.
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Shinichi Maeda, Associate Professor Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Department of Mechanical Science, Production Science Area 【Recent Research Themes】 ● Pulse detonation propulsion devices using hydrogen fuel ● Air-cooled pulse detonation combustors using hydrogen fuel ● Shock wave (blast wave) generation devices utilizing detonation ● High-speed projectile launch devices utilizing detonation (up to 2.5 km/s) ● Mechanisms of detonation generation and suppression
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【Appeal Points to the Industry】 ● Detonation can instantaneously generate high-pressure, high-temperature, and high-speed combustion gases. ● By utilizing detonation, strong shock waves with Mach numbers of 5 to 7 can be generated. ● We possess detonation control technology based on fundamental research. ● We conduct visualization observations of shock waves, supersonic flows, and combustion using ultra-high-speed cameras. ● As part of explosion safety technology, we also research detonation suppression techniques.
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The Saitama University Open Innovation Center is a center that functions as a liaison office for industry-academia-government collaboration. It consists of three departments: the Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Department, the Intellectual Property Department, and the Startup Support Department, each staffed with coordinators well-versed in various fields. The center's activities include solving technical challenges in companies, supporting the implementation of joint research, and conducting technology transfer aimed at introducing and utilizing Saitama University's intellectual property.