Mission 

Although a recent development in rocketry, the experimental implementation of Rotating Detonation Engines (RDREs) is taking place at many academic institutions. Swiss institutions have yet to join its contemporaries in this endeavor. Project PERSEUS aims to provide a “proof-of-concept” of an RDRE within ARIS.

The goal of the project is to build a small-scale RDRE and successfully fire it on the existing test bench with confirmed detonative waves. The project will establish a fundamental understanding on safely operating and testing an engine of this kind, which can be applied in future development of a fully ARIS-designed RDRE.

The Initiators

Project Perseus is the brainchild of two ETH Zürich students and one OST Rapperswil student. Driven by a desire to invest in the propulsion technologies of the future, this project was first conceptualized in 2023. After an unsuccessful pitch as a Focus Project at ETH, the team went back to the drawing board and made adjustments. With a new understanding of the challenges associated with such novel technology and an invaluable partnership with ARIS, Project Perseus took its current form in early June 2024. Since then, the core team has benefited greatly from the guidance of a remarkable group of experienced and skilled advisors.

Engine Team 

The Engine Team has the exciting task of creating an innovative annular combustion chamber fitted with highly advanced pressure sensors. Comprised of copper and brass components, the engine is subjected to extreme pressure and temperature regimes. With detonation waves racing around the annular combustor 20,000 times per second, it is the responsibility of this subteam to ensure control of the immense power released in detonative combustion.

Propellant Supply System Team

The PSS team is tasked with ensuring precise control over the mass flow, temperature, and pressure at which the fuel and oxidizer are delivered to the engine. For RDREs, especially, the total mass flow and the equivalence ratio between the two propellants are crucial for generating stable detonation waves. Additionally, the subteam will need to make slight modifications to the test bench to allow for the utilization of gaseous propellants. This task demands meticulous attention to detail, as the performance of the Propellant Supply System is crucial for achieving stable and efficient operation of any rocket engine.

Data Acquisition and Control System Team

The DACS team is responsible for maintaining a suite of over 20 sensors and translating their signals into readable data. Project PERSEUS aims to confirm the existence of detonation waves, their spin frequency, and the axial pressure profile. This can only be accomplished through the use of highly specialized high-speed dynamic pressure sensors. Efficient data transfer and storage, as well as specific plotting functionalities, are essential for analyzing the engine tests. Given the extreme conditions from which some of the data will be collected and the short firing durations, it is the responsibility of this subteam to capture all the necessary information in the blink of an eye.