H2POWRD research presented at IWDP 2026: Investigating Rotating Detonation Combustor Stability

As part of our IWDP 2026 highlights, the H2POWRD Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network is pleased to feature the research contribution presented by Doctoral Candidate Alastair Bruce from Technische Universität Berlin at the 14th International Workshop on Detonation for Propulsion (IWDP 2026) in Tokyo, Japan.

Rotating detonation combustors offer the potential for more compact and efficient propulsion systems, but the mechanisms governing their stability remain difficult to understand due to strong multi-scale interactions.

Using experimental data from the TU Berlin rotating detonation combustor test bed, we developed a phase-averaged pressure-field reconstruction approach to investigate how outlet reflected shocks interact with the detonation structure. This methodology enables quantification of key flow features, including the detonation front, oblique shock wave, reflected shock wave, and the related impact location with the following wave, to be resolved directly from experimental measurements. The analysis demonstrates that the interaction of the reflected shock impact location with the following wave has measurable effects on detonation wave coherence and combustor stability.

These findings provide new insight into shock–injector coupling mechanisms and may help guide the design of more stable and reliable pressure-gain combustion systems.

This research was carried out within the H2POWRD Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (Project No. 101169009), bringing together academic and industrial partners to advance research and training in hydrogen-based propulsion systems.

The work was conducted in collaboration with Benjamin Kuijper (Eindhoven University of Technology), Prof. Dr. Christian Oliver Paschereit (Technische Universität Berlin), and Prof. Dr. Myles Bohon (Technische Universität Berlin).

H2POWRD congratulates Alastair Bruce 👏on presenting this research and representing the consortium at IWDP 2026.

Related Article

International Workshop on Detonation for Propulsion (IWDP) 2026

Read more about the H2POWRD consortium’s participation at IWDP 2026 in Yokohama, Japan: https://www.h2powrd.eu/post/h2powrd-participation-at-iwdp-2026-yokohama-japan