Purpose and functionality of a wave rotor: A wave rotor can be a component of a combustion engine that is compressing air, using the thermal and potential energy of exhaust gas. Simply put, a wave rotor does the same job as a supercharger in a piston engine, or as an additional compressor-turbine stage in a gas turbine. Conventional supercharging methods use exhaust gas to run a turbine that is generating shaft power used to propel a compressor. However, a wave rotor creates “free” compression by utilizing shockwaves generated by clashing high pressure exhaust gas directly against the incoming air. Hence, a wave rotor provides additional power to the system for relatively minimal costs. Losses due to low compressor and turbine efficiency, and high thermal stress in the turbine, can be avoided. Engineering objectives include both the magnification of the gas turbine pressure ratio and of the turbine inlet pressure.

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