Optical Diagnostics in a High-Pressure Combustor with Gaseous Oxygen and Kerosene

Abstract

This paper presents analysis of results from optical diagnostics in a high-pressure combustor burning gaseous oxygen (GOX) and liquid kerosene RP-2 fuel through a jet-swirl coflow injector. The objectives of the experiment were to measure flame stabilization and position under high-pressure conditions. Data were obtained at pressures from 2 to 16.5 MPa and mixture ratios from 2.9 to 20. High-speed cameras captured side-on chemiluminescence and infrared images of the flame. Results show that the flame-spreading angle from the injector ranges from approximately 3 to 6 deg, varying with pressure and propellant mass flow rate. A novel borescope was used to image the flame from upstream of the GOX post, enabling visualization of the flame near its stabilization location. The flame stabilization characteristics change significantly with the fuel flow velocity (which is proportional to pressure). At low pressures and fuel flow velocities, the flame appears to be distributed azimuthally in a nearly axisymmetric manner. At higher velocities, helical spirals of luminosity develop near the GOX post. In addition, the side-on views reveal concentrated streaks of, presumably, fuel entering the combustion chamber. These results suggest that computations must resolve the individual fuel injection orifices, to capture the flame stabilization.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 26, 2018
Accession Number
AD1063996

Entities

People

  • Henry C. Ballance
  • Oleksandr Bibik
  • Stephen Alexander Schumaker
  • Stephen Danczyk
  • Tim Lieuwen
  • Timothy S. Cook
  • Vigor Yang

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Chambers
  • Combustors
  • Engineering
  • Fuel Injection
  • Heat Transfer
  • High Pressure
  • Ignition
  • Laser Induced Fluorescence
  • Luminosity
  • Measurement
  • Optics
  • Spectra
  • Spectroscopy

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.