Patent ID: 7621118

Claim:
A method, comprising: (a) rotating a wave rotor having a passageway with a first end and a second end; (b) introducing a quantity of working fluid into a passageway through the first end of the passageway; (c) delivering a quantity of fuel into the passageway through the first end of the passageway; (d) burning the fuel within the passageway and creating a combusted gas; (e) compressing a portion of the working fluid within the passageway to define a buffer gas; (f) discharging a first portion of the buffer gas from the passageway through the first end of the passageway; (g) discharging a portion of the combusted gas from the passageway through the second end of the passageway; (h) retaining a second portion of the buffer gas within the passageway at the first end; and (i) routing the first portion of the buffer gas from said discharging back into the passageway through the first end of the passageway.