Patent ID: 7828546

Claim:
A pulse detonation device, comprising: at least one detonation chamber having a central axis in which a mixture of fuel and air is combusted which creates a flow of combusted gas; and a fixed geometry flow separator formed as an annulus which inhibits backflow of said combusted gas into an inlet region of said chamber, wherein said geometry is fixed during said combustion of said mixture, and further wherein the fixed geometry flow separator separates said backflow into an annular control region converging in backflow located radially outwardly from the fixed geometry flow separator and a primary region diverging backflow located within the annulus of the fixed geometry flow separator, such that said control region converging backflow mixes with and impedes said primary region diverging backflow upstream of the fixed geometry flow separator to substantially prevent any shockwave produced via said combustion from propagating upstream toward an inlet region of said chamber wherein said control region converging backflow has a higher flow velocity that said primary region diverging backflow.