THE MECHANISM OF THE FUEL-MIXING PROCESS IN DIFFUSION-TYPE SUPERSONIC COMBUSTION.
Abstract
An experimental investigation was undertaken of the mechanism of the fuel-mixing process in diffusion-type supersonic combustion, a concept of interest as the possible basis for the design of so-called 'scramjet' engines. Use was made of a laboratory-scale model of one possible engine combustor configuration. Appropriate measurements and observations were made of both the spatial distribution of the mean flow variables and of the detailed structure of the flow patterns within the mixing zone. The possible effects of combustion were briefly investigated. The results obtained show that the details of the mechanism of the mixing process are strongly influenced by the physical configuration of the engine combustor and by the density of the particular fuel being used. In the particular case of a two-dimensional configuration in which a light gaseous fuel (e.g., hydrogen or methane) is injected downstream from transverse fuel struts, the principal element of the mixing mechanism is the momentum deficit existing downstream of each fuel strut. The resulting flow patterns within the combustor thus most closely resemble those of a supersonic wake with base injection. The effects of combustion are apparently confined to second order influences. Comparison with results of other earlier related supersonic-combustion investigations indicate that the results of the present study serve to explain various hitherto obscure points in regard to the mixing mechanism. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0685781
Entities
People
- Alan Watton Jr