Wave Engine Corp. is an IP and product development company pioneering next-generation propulsion technology. The company has announced the first deliveries of its pioneering J-1 wave engine systems. The delivery of the first engines—uniquely configured with no moving parts—has been completed to an aerospace prime contractor on behalf of the US government under contract. It is also working with several customers to integrate the J-1 engines into their respective UAV platforms—a testament to growing market demand for cost-effective propulsion systems produced at high volume and quickly.
Daanish Maqbool, Wave Engine Corp. CEO, viewed the future optimistically: “We are looking forward to working with our customers to increase production and bring an unmatched combination of cost, simplicity, and flight performance to market.”
Wave Engine Corp. has already run over 800 runs of the engine and completed 13 powered flights on two aircraft. The latest tests saw the J-1 engine powering company Scitor-D series UAVs, with safety oversight provided by the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. Tombo Jones, the director of the partnership, explained its importance by saying it is key for this technology to be developed as such technology holds the future of the drone industry in place.
Wave engines do not rely on rotating equipment; instead, they rely on pressure waves. A cycle in a wave engine starts with a fresh mix of air and fuel inside the combustion chamber. After ignition, the temperature and pressure increase as the hot gases are expelled to the outside from either end of the tube to provide good thrust for high speed in flight. This leaves behind a partial vacuum, which in turn creates an influx of fresh air into the system and sets up the next cycle.
The J-1 comes in at 18 pounds and 5.5 x 12.5 x 64 inches in size; it is designed for high speed in UAVs up to 200 gross vehicle weight pounds, running a variety of fuels from gasoline through E85 bioethanol to kerosene-based jet fuel, producing up to 55 pounds-force of thrust.
Wave Engine Corp. is also developing a larger K-1 engine that is rated at 220 pounds-force of thrust for an aircraft weighing up to 1,000 pounds. It envisions its technology stretching into larger commercial applications and a new class of high-speed VTOLs in the future.
Wave Engine Corporation is a team of dedicated scientists, talented engineers, and former Fortune 500 executives located in Baltimore, MD. Building on breakthroughs in propulsion, acoustics, and combustion control, it pioneers the next generation in propulsion and aircraft systems.