Auburn University has been awarded a $235,506 research grant by a federal civilian agency to develop and demonstrate integrated methane-rich and oxygen-rich pre-burners operating in conjunction with continuous detonation engines (CDEs). This project, titled "Methane/Oxygen Pre-Burner Integration for Promotion of Continuous Detonation Engine Integrated Rocket Cycle," represents an inaugural effort toward rocket engine power cycle integration at Auburn University's Combustion Physics Lab. The research aims to optimize turbomachinery power delivery by extracting chemical potential energy from propellants through low-temperature pre-burner combustion, thereby enabling maximum mechanical work conversion and improved engine thrust production for advanced flight vehicles. The award carries no set-aside designation, indicating open competition based on technical merit.
The grant, issued on January 9, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of July 8, 2026, will be performed at Auburn University's facility in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn University, a public land-grant research institution with an extensive track record of sophisticated federal research partnerships, regularly serves as a prime contractor for NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies across aerospace technology, materials science, and advanced engineering disciplines. This award reflects the university's established capability in advanced propulsion research and its role as a trusted provider of specialized technical research services to federal civilian agencies.