Wave starts delivery of fire-spewing pulsejet engine with no moving parts

A University of Maryland spinoff firm, Wave Engine Corporation, has created a simpler, more affordable jet propulsion system for drones.

The digitally controlled modern-day pulsejet engine features no moving parts and claims to offer major improvements in the cost reduction and rapid production of future jet-powered aircraft.

In March, the Baltimore-based company demonstrated the full flight capability of its J-1 engine on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

Now, the company announced the delivery of its first J-1 engines to an aerospace prime contractor on contract with the US government. It also revealed that additional customers are working to integrate the J-1 engines into their UAV designs.

“We are looking forward to working with our customers to increase production and bring an unmatched combination of cost, simplicity and flight performance to market,” said Daanish Maqbool, CEO of Wave, in a statement .

Pressure wave propulsion

Wave engines, a unique class of aircraft engines, operate using pressure waves instead of traditional rotating machinery.

An engine cycle starts with a fresh mix of fuel and air in the combustion chamber. Ignition raises the temperature and pressure, expelling hot gases from both ends of the tube and creating thrust for high-speed flight. This expulsion causes a partial vacuum, drawing in fresh air to repeat the cycle.

This process results in a mechanically simple device that generates thrust for high-speed flight with fuel efficiency comparable to jet engines. It also offers advantages such as affordability, mid-air restart capability, and the ability to burn various fuels, including sustainable options like bioethanol-based E85.

Wave Engine Corporation’s proprietary technology facilitates high speeds while significantly reducing the cost and complexity of jet propulsion. According to its engineers, the advancement is crucial for a growing number of applications requiring affordable and quickly producible jet propulsion systems.

In its recent demonstration flight, a 50+ lbf (222+ N) thrust wave engine powered a 100 lbs (45 kg) gross weight Conventional Take-Off and Landing UAV , showcasing remote instant start on liquid fuel.

The company has developed engines with thrusts ranging from 50 lbf (222 N) to 250 lbf (1112 N), suitable for aircraft weighing between 100 lbs (45 kg) and 1,000 lbs (450 kg).

According to the firm, these engines can operate on various fuels, including gasoline (87 Octane), kerosene-based fuel (Jet-A/JP-8), and sustainable ethanol-based biofuel (E85).

Advancing UAV propulsion

Wave has flown 13 powered flights on two aircraft and performed over 800 engine tests using its J-1 engines. The company’s Scitor-D line of UAVs is powered by a J-1 engine , and the most recent flights were carried out under the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership’s safety supervision.

The company declared that it had successfully proven several mid-air starts and had reached airspeeds of up to 200 mph (321 km/h) with its engines. The main restriction was the test facility’s practical limitations.

According to engineers, its jet propulsion systems meet high-speed demands while being immune to debris ingestion and highly damage-tolerant. The J-1 engines can also match the efficiency of turbine-based engines with Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption (TSFC) values of less than 2.0 lbs/lbf-hr.

Furthermore, the technology offers mid-air restartability and simplicity, featuring instant start on liquid fuel and digital control. With no moving parts, these engines are touted to be more affordable and cost-effective than other high-speed propulsion technologies.

“We are still pushing the boundaries of performance and flying. We think it will transform the industry; we have worked for years to harness the power of fire and sound,” said Maqbool.