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Liquid Fuel Atomizer

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00014-01-C-0457
Agency Tracking Number: N002-0553
Amount: $447,915.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2002
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
12345 W. 52nd Ave.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
United States
DUNS: 181947730
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James Nabity
 Senior Engineer
 (303) 940-2313
 nabity@tda.com
Business Contact
 John Wright
Title: Vice President
Phone: (303) 940-2300
Email: jdwright@tda.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

"The pulse detonation engine (PDE) is an exciting airbreathingpropulsion cycle with great potential for improved range andthrust. Most research has been performed with gaseous fuels, sodemonstrating rapid deflagration-to-detonation using storable,liquid hydrocarbon fuels is essential to the successfuldevelopment and widespread use of this engine. Unfortunately,liquid fuels require atomization, which introduces the challengeof detonating a liquid droplet spray. Recent research shows thatdroplet Sauter-mean diameters as small as 3 mm may be required.These droplets will track with the flow in the engine, but arenot expected to penetrate very far. Thus, fuel distributionduring atomization will be needed to reduce post-mixingenhancement. New atomization technologies are required toproduce these small droplets and still meet the Navy'srequirements of high temperature operability (500 ¿F), lowpressure drop (< 50 psid), high-speed on off pulsing with zero-drip closure and high fuel flow rates (0.5 lbm/s). Even thoughsuch an atomizer has never been built, there are no fundamentalproblems that prevent it. Therefore, TDA Research, teamed withthe University of Colorado-Boulder, proposed to develop a novelhigh-speed, high-resolution atomization system to meet theserequirements.BENEFITS: The atomizer developed by this research will be applicable in a wide range of propulsion and power generation applications, including aircraft and stationar

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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