Abstract: To address the unclear heating mechanism of the gas wave oscillation tube and the uncertain effects of key parameters on its heating performance, a wave rotor composed of gas wave oscillation tubes was taken as the research object, and its internal heating mechanism as well as the effects of different parameters on the heating process were investigated by combining theoretical analysis with numerical simulation. The results showed that the heating process in the gas wave oscillation tube mainly consisted of two stages: abrupt heating induced by shock waves and gradual heating caused by the superposition of weak compression waves. The pressure ratio and tube width mainly affected the abrupt shock-induced heating by changing the shock intensity, while the width of the high-pressure inlet port and the tube length mainly affected the gradual heating process by influencing the duration of weak compression-wave superposition. The rotational speed affected both heating processes simultaneously. These findings provide a reference for regulating the heating effect of gas wave oscillation tubes and for their engineering applications.