The automotive industry has by far been the toughest bet for electronics manufacturers. However, with improved efficiency and control with ECUs and other related chip applications, car and bike makers have finally opened up to the boundless possibilities offered by electronics. The benefits of circuit boards will not be limited to conventional engines alone, we believe. Pulse jet engines, though not quite common, will also witness better and more streamlined combustion capabilities thanks to the research efforts of the missile man – Bruce Simpson. Typically, these engines are propelled by combustion gases exiting a resonant exhaust pipe at the rear (similar to a rocket). And, in the case of Bruce’s Dragster, the ECU controlled pulse jet is enough to send a chill up your spine. The ECU design will offer better control of the engine, with input data consisting of temperature, mass-flow, and overall thrust. The combustion cycle will then be monitored by the transducer of the ECU, which eventually results in a fine-tuned engine operation and optimal performance on all power-points.
Purportedly, the credit card sized ECU also assists in automated starting or restarting of the engine. One of the major advantages that the chip offered was de-synchronizing the engine, which helped in better modulation of the sound and vibration. It also resulted in a better power to weight ratio, thus enabling better acceleration. However, as in the case of all advantages, the pitfall was a premature flame-out since the exhaust gases of one cylinder was taken in by another. The solution Bruce applied was incorporating a dividing plate between the intake pipes and including augmenters.
Bruce’s Dragster is powered by two enhanced Lockwood valve-less pulse jets that delivered 150lbs of pulse thrust for the engine while running on Propane. With the dividing plate and augmenters, a total of 440lbs was possible. For the layman, it essentially means the Dragster drives into a blur in no time. If you’re a speed freak, you need to check this one out!
Via:Aardvark
