A solid fuel propulsion system includes a housing, an air inlet configured to enable air to flow into the housing, an air duct, a rotation detonation chamber, and a nozzle assembly. The air duct is disposed in the housing and is in fluid communication with the air inlet. The air duct is configured to supply air for combustion of a solid fuel configured to sublimate into a gaseous fuel mixture. The rotation detonation chamber is disposed in the housing aft of the air duct and is configured to combust the gaseous fuel mixture and air to generate a rotating detonation wave. The nozzle assembly is configured to expand and exhaust the flow prompted by the rotating detonation wave to generate thrust.

A solid fuel propulsion system includes a housing, an air inlet configured to enable air to flow into the housing, an air duct, a rotation detonation chamber, and a nozzle assembly. The air duct is disposed in the housing and is in fluid communication with the air inlet. The air duct is configured to supply air for combustion of a solid fuel configured to sublimate into a gaseous fuel mixture. The rotation detonation chamber is disposed in the housing aft of the air duct and is configured to combust the gaseous fuel mixture and air to generate a rotating detonation wave. The nozzle assembly is configured to expand and exhaust the flow prompted by the rotating detonation wave to generate thrust.

Rotating detonation engines are provided with various improvements pertaining to performance and reliability. Improvements pertain to, for example, a fluidic valve/premixing chamber, injection/swirl, flow control and turning, ignition, and cooling. A rotating detonation engine can include a cylindrical inner shell within an outer housing, a cylindrical outer shell positioned between the inner shell and the outer housing, an annular gap between the outer shell and the outer housing functioning as a detonation chamber.

A rotary detonation rocket engine generator system can include an axial drive shaft operably coupleable to an electrical generator. At least one support arm is radially coupled to the axial drive shaft and has corresponding rotary detonation rocket engines. An air-fuel mixing chamber receives ambient air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture and deliver the air-fuel mixture to an annular combustion chamber. At least one pulse detonation combustion chamber is in fluid communication with the annular combustion chamber to receive an oxidizer and fuel to form an oxidizer-fuel mixture. The at least one pulse detonation combustion chamber creates a detonation wave that travels along the at least one pulse detonation chamber to the annular combustion chamber and ignites the air-fuel mixture as the detonation wave travels around the annular combustion chamber to generate thrust force that causes rotation of the axial drive shaft to drive the electrical generator.

A rotary detonation rocket engine generator system can include an axial drive shaft operably coupleable to an electrical generator. At least one support arm is radially coupled to the axial drive shaft and has corresponding rotary detonation rocket engines. An air-fuel mixing chamber receives ambient air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture and deliver the air-fuel mixture to an annular combustion chamber. At least one pulse detonation combustion chamber is in fluid communication with the annular combustion chamber to receive an oxidizer and fuel to form an oxidizer-fuel mixture. The at least one pulse detonation combustion chamber creates a detonation wave that travels along the at least one pulse detonation chamber to the annular combustion chamber and ignites the air-fuel mixture as the detonation wave travels around the annular combustion chamber to generate thrust force that causes rotation of the axial drive shaft to drive the electrical generator.

Provided herein are various new or improved airbreathing and non-airbreathing engines. In another example, a new type of rotary engine is provided and is assembled into a single body from manufactured parts and comprising front and rear non-vented case plates, a detonation channel, a center case plate, a rotary gate valve spacer plate, front and rear bearing cover plates, front and rear centrifugal fan bearings and a non-vented centrifugal flywheel fan. The front non-vented case plate and the detonation channel includes an air intake port. The center case plate comprises an adjustable fuel aerosolizing combustor - detonator. The non-vented centrifugal flywheel fan comprises a plurality of rotary gate valves, a plurality of radial fan blades and a splined drive shaft. The rotary engine also comprises a plurality of case plate bolts, case plate post spacers, case plate nuts and bearing cover plate bolts.

Provided herein are various new or improved airbreathing and non-airbreathing engines. In another example, a new type of rotary engine is provided and is assembled into a single body from manufactured parts and comprising front and rear non-vented case plates, a detonation channel, a center case plate, a rotary gate valve spacer plate, front and rear bearing cover plates, front and rear centrifugal fan bearings and a non-vented centrifugal flywheel fan. The front non-vented case plate and the detonation channel includes an air intake port. The center case plate comprises an adjustable fuel aerosolizing combustor - detonator. The non-vented centrifugal flywheel fan comprises a plurality of rotary gate valves, a plurality of radial fan blades and a splined drive shaft. The rotary engine also comprises a plurality of case plate bolts, case plate post spacers, case plate nuts and bearing cover plate bolts.

A rotating detonation engine includes an outer body with an opening therethrough having an interior wall and an inner body received in the outer body opening and with an outer wall tapering in the flow direction of the engine and spaced from the outer body opening interior wall defining a non-cylindrical improved efficiency detonation channel between the inner body outer wall and outer body opening interior wall.

A rotating detonation engine (RDE) is disclosed which includes a housing, an injector assembly disposed within the housing, the injector assembly includes a fuel manifold, an oxidizer manifold, and a combustion chamber, fuel from the fuel manifold and an oxidizer from the oxidizer manifold are combined and combusted in the combustion chamber, each of the fuel and oxidizer manifolds communicates with the combustion chamber via a plurality of Tesla valves each via a corresponding port, wherein the plurality of Tesla valves substantially eliminate reverse flow of exhaust gases from the combustion chamber back to the fuel manifold or the oxidizer manifold.

A combustion chamber for a rocket engine, the combustion chamber including a combustion chamber body enclosing a combustion chamber volume and a nozzle portion tapering in a longitudinal direction of the combustion chamber and adjoining the combustion chamber body. The combustion chamber body has at least one first portion and a second portion, wherein an inner surface of the at least one first portion facing the combustion chamber volume is closer to a cross-sectional center of the combustion chamber body than an inner surface of the second portion of the combustion chamber body. Furthermore, a additive layer manufacturing method for manufacturing such a combustion chamber is described.