IAE Raptor achieves new limits in thrust

[Irvine.J]

Irvine Aeropulse Engine: IAE - Raptor

Well guys….I proudly present, The IAE - Raptor
The Raptor represents the culmination of countless hours of experimentation and work. The Raptor is 29 inches long, or 3 inches shorter then the Laird Chinese, and about 1 inch loner the HPX-II, with marginal additional weight, it has the same combustor as a Chinese “laird” engine and has well placed center of gravity in the middle of the engine.

The IAE Raptor, when started locks in at a low frequency, then without touching the fuel, as it heats up there is a very noticeable and audible increase in frequency, power and volume. The engine is tuned to run hot, to get the most out of the available fuel, it’s easy to see the heat pattern on the tailpipe never gets passed the reflector cone. This indicates far more efficient use of available heat energy to drive mass flow. The heat pattern on the Raptor is half the distance of the HPX-II Raven, signifying it’s a more efficient engine at a very marginal weight increase.

Once the engine is locked in, it will drastically increase its thrust, frequency and volume without the introduction of more fuel. *Once stable in its power band, its sports a very wide throttle range, and huge amounts of power for its compact size.*
One thing that stands it out above other engines is its willingness to take in pressurised liquid fuel from a variety of locations.

Before I say the following, I am aware of several engines under development at this time, some larger then mine, some smaller, some with much larger CC volumes, some with much smaller over all aspect ratio’s. All things considered…

If we are taking the Laird as an example of good power from a small combustor… and remembering that we are using a Laird Chinese combustor, at a similar frequency, with less volume then the FWE Chambers. This is all on an engine that is significantly smaller then the Laird… I would be more then confident in saying the following:

“The Raptor represents the most powerful, lightest and smallest valveless pulsejet that exists at this current time running off a single intake.”
(Happy to add, “for running off a chinese combustor, non-BCVP,” etc and so forth.) I understand that this is going to rile some people up, debate that comment if you wish, I almost feel “Dirty” saying it. But I am not aware of any engine as small as the Raptor that can put out this much power, if someone would be willing to enlighten me to one I am more then happy to retract that statement.

The engine is running off a Laird Chinese combustion chamber, and achieving more thrust with the same fuel and air volumes.
- The IAE- Raptor is approx 3 inches shorter then the Chinese. (under 30 inches)
- 1.2 lb in 0.5mm stainless steel.
- IAE- Raptor is the single loudest engine of any of the small engines I’ve ever built.
- IAE- Raptor sports strikingly good efficiency and runs on a variety of liquid fuels with 0 fogging.

The IAE- Raptor WILL develop 6.25 + lbs thrust on propane.
Currently undergoing liquid fueling trials and videos will be posted shortly. We have all new fogging injectors and are running fairly close to max throttle at 90ml per minute, slightly higher flow rate injectors are arriving within 7 days, I would expect max throttle with this kind of atomization would be between 100 and 120 ml per minute.
I am aware it is the engine of 1000 cones, but hell it works.

[Mike Everman]

They look so beautiful. Nice work, James!

[larry cottrill]

Looks like a good one to me!

Congrats once again! You put a lot of R&D into your stuff, and it pays off.

L Cottrill

[metiz]

Omg yur engine is teh suck!!1

I joke :P excellent post and the engine itself looks beautiful. Briljant stuff, keep it up :)

btw still have not gotten those injectors? Bastards!

[Mark]

Pretty spiffy. Any idea of the volume, say if you filled/corked the side port and measured how many cups or mls it holds in the verticle?
Looks like a production facility in the making, they look even better as a group.
Mark

[Irvine.J]

Thanks guys,
I appreciate all your comments!

[tufty]

Good lord, James, those are simply beautiful. What we need now is figures...

I'd be very interested in seeing thrust and TSFC at lowest sustainable throttle, max throttle, and (say) 50% or 75% thrust, on both propane and whatever liquids or other bizarre fuels you fancy throwing at them (probably earwax and rat snot if Rossco is involved :).

Oh, and well done. Gorgeous work.

Simon.

[mk]

Congratulations! Sounds cool so far. And the pipes are definitely of good workmanship.

I am with "tufty": Figures would be nice to follow.

Keep up the good work!

[Irvine.J]

Yep guys working on it, I'm veerrryyy eager I promise you. I got a new batch of nozzles coming straight from the manufacturer. All stainless steel fogging nozzles. I had one here that was only 50 ml per minute or so, and I drilled it out to get it up to 90. These particular ones fog like crazy and I can machine them down to 5mm, great! And flow about 110 ml without me drilling anything in it to ruin the fog pattern
I would expect the new nozzles to arrive within the next 48 hours and will get right on it. I have several fuels to try, the absolutely crap common kerosene we buy here, and some POWER KEROSENE (AKA RAAAGHGHG, AKA Recosol 151) unfortunately its 60 bucks for 20 liters, and double-unfortunately my pump apparently doesn't like gasoline, but I think the power kero will be close, if I get jittery I'll run it on gas anyway

Right now on propane I can get a stable 6.5lbs, might be a tad higher as I do experience some mechanical loss. I was saving that 6.5 (i said 6.25 above) just for kicks heheh sorry

I'll have some TSFC at different thrusts within a week if all goes well!