Penn Jet Propulsion
Date: September 2025 - Current
Our current project is to research, design, and assembly a fully functional jet engine afterburner. My next steps are to machine parts of the cylinder body and assemble all components.
Project Objectives
Develop an afterburner system for the JetCat P100-RX within PJP funding, achieving the following:
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Baseline Thrust Objective: Achieve 19 lbf of thrust without afterburner active
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Maximum Thrust Objective: Achieve 130% of stock thrust when afterburning
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Ignition Objective: Maintain reliable ignition within 1 second of operation
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Time Objective: Operate continuously for 15 seconds
Full Assembly Overview
This is the fully assembled afterburner for the JetCat P100-RX, shown mounted to the engine. Working front to back, starting where the engine's exhaust enters: the exhaust cone straightens and slows the hot exhaust air. Near the tip of the cone sits a fuel injector ring, which sprays fuel through tiny holes into the center of the airstream for optimal mixing. The fuel-air mixture then passes through the flame holder, which creates a stable recirculation zone for the flame to anchor, right before reaching the spark plug that ignites it and generates additional thrust. The resulting flame exits through the variable-geometry nozzle, which controls backpressure and thrust.
