Patent ID: 8516788

Claim:
An engine with pulsed detonations and controlled ignition, operating on an explosive air-fuel mixture and comprising: a combustion chamber closed at one of its ends by a thrust wall, and at least two predetonation tubes provided with low-energy ignition unit and in communication with said combustion chamber via one of their ends opening into said combustion chamber facing said thrust wall, the arrangement of said predetonation tubes being such that the waves traveling through them are reflected by said thrust wall into said combustion chamber, wherein: in said predetonation tubes, the flames are brought into a state of propagation close to the conditions of thermal blockage without seeking to attain detonation regime; detonation of said explosive mixture contained in said combustion chamber is initiated at a point of said combustion chamber which is raised to a very high pressure and a very high temperature by the shockwaves generated in said predetonation tubes, then reflected off and focused by said thrust wall at said point, and each predetonation tube comprises successive internal obstracles each defining a blockage ratio, wherein said blockage ratio decreases from said low-energy ignition unit as far as each of said ends of said predetonation tube.