Pulsejet Engines for UAVs: Flight-Proven Drone Propulsion Systems

Wave Engine Corp. is a developer of pulsejet engines for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Our flight-proven drone propulsion systems are highly cost-effective and mass-producible with a thrust-specific fuel consumption that is competitive with turbine engines.

Our technology is designed to provide the UAV sector with reliable jet propulsion at previously unattainable economy and scale, propelling the industry forward and unlocking new applications for high-speed drones.

Wave Engine Technology

Our engine technology utilizes pressure waves instead of rotating machinery, resulting in a much simpler and rapidly-producible design with no moving parts and extreme tolerance to debris ingestion and damage. These engines take advantage of the compressible nature of air to generate thrust for high-speed flight, and feature a unique combustion cycle:

• A fuel-air mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber.
• The temperature and pressure of the gasses increases.
• Hot combustion products are expelled from both ends of the tube, creating usable thrust.
• The inertia of the high-speed gas jets creates a partial vacuum inside the tube.
• Fresh air is sucked into the engine to fill this vacuum, more fuel is injected, and the cycle repeats.

Wave Engine Operating Cycle

This methodology results in numerous advantages for high-speed aircraft propulsion, including no blending requirements, fuel efficiency levels that are comparable to turbine engines, and a unique and proven mid-air starting and restarting capability. In addition to a wide range of commercially-available fuels, wave engines can also be run on biofuels such as bioethanol E85, making them ideal for decarbonization and sustainability initiatives.

J-1 Wave Engine

High-speed pulsejet engine for UAVs

Our launch product, the J-1 engine, is designed for high-speed UAVs with gross weights of up to 200 lbs. It is provided as a complete package with a fuel supply system and digital ECU (Engine Control Unit) with PWM inputs.

Delivering thrust levels of up to 53 lbf (236N), it is run on gasoline as standard with optional E85 bioethanol or Jet-A/JP-8 heavy fuel capabilities, and provides all the simplicity and operational advantages of our wave engine technology.

Click the image below to watch a demonstration of the J-1 wave engine on a fixed-wing UAV, showcasing remote starting, climbing, cruising and landing:

More information: J-1 High-speed pulsejet engine for UAVs

Services & Support

In addition to our COTS products, we also offer a comprehensive range of services to support your high-speed UAV propulsion requirements, including engine and fuel system development, laboratory and flight testing, and vehicle integration.

Our engineering team boasts decades of experience in aviation and propulsion technologies, and we also maintain cutting-edge facilities with sophisticated in-house testing capabilities, including a wind tunnel and testbed aircraft.

To find out how we can help you develop your next-generation high-speed UAV platforms, please get in touch.