Frank K. Lu, Ph.D.Aerodynamics Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington
Friday, October 24th, 2025, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Jett Hall, room 109
Title: New Fire: Contributions to the Development of Detonation Engines
ABSTRACT: Detonations throughout history, and even to this day, have been regarded with trepidation. The sudden, unpredictable release of a huge amount of energy wreaking destruction bears witness. Indeed, the early scientific investigation of detonations focused on mining accidents. Fanciful ideas on harnessing detonations such as Jules Verne’s space gun in De la terre à la lune, in fact, predated these scientific investigations. It was only from the mid-20th century that the possibility of harnessing detonations attracted serious attention, with efforts accelerating within the past 20–30 years. Detonation engines have numerous potential advantages over existing jet engines such as simplicity of design, ease of manufacture and maintenance, and high theoretical efficiency, as well as high thrust-to-volume and thrust-to-weight ratios. As far as we know, none of the different genres of detonation engines are currently deployed beyond demonstrators. There is great potential as well as challenges in bringing these technologies into realization. The University of Texas at Arlington has over three decades of history in the development of detonation engines. Following a brief introduction of novus incendia, the lecture focuses on UTA’s contributions in fundamental physics, hardware development and systems studies primarily in pulse and rotating detonation engines. The challenges in bringing the technology to reality are highlighted. The lecture is geared towards a general technical audience, amply illustrated with figures and video clips.
BIO: Professor Frank Lu joined UTA in August 1987. He obtained his degrees from Cambridge, Princeton and Penn State. His present research interests are primarily in detonations and gasdynamics. Professor Lu has authored or co-authored over 200 papers and holds 12 patents and provisional patents. He has delivered numerous plenary and keynote speeches. He edited a special section on pressure gain combustion for publication in 2016 in the Journal of Propulsion & Power and co-edited Advanced Hypersonic Test Facilities which was translated into Chinese. He is active in technical activities and had served as Editor-in-Chief of the AIAA Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics book series and as AIAA Vice President for Publications. Professor Lu is a Life Fellow of AIAA, Distinguished Life Fellow of the International Shock Wave Institute, Fellow of ASME and the Royal Aeronautical Society, Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Professional Engineer in Texas, and a Princeton Guggenheim Fellow (Fall 1979) and NSF ICORP™ Fellow. He is on the editorial board of Aerospace Science & Technology and Shock Waves, and co-editor of the book series Shock & High Pressure Phenomena. Professor Lu also consults in his areas of expertise and served as the Chief Technology Officer of Afthon, a company he co-founded in 2014 to commercialize detonation-based technologies until 2018. This year, he formally declared that he is “weird” by being a life member of both Mensa and Intertel.
