HEATED WALL SUPERSONIC COMBUSTION TESTING OF HYDROCARBONS IN AXISYMMETRIC MODELS IN THE T4/X3R SHOCK TUNNEL

Abstract

Supersonic combustion of hydrocarbon fuels at high Mach numbers (Mach 7 – 8) can enable reliable operation of future scramjet engines at these flight regimes. This project will utilize The Centre for Hypersonics’ T4/X3R shock tunnels housed at The University of Queensland/DST Group Eagle Farm precinct, to undertake heated wall testing of a ducted, axisymmetric supersonic combustor. Shock tunnels are attractive for supersonic combustion studies at high Mach numbers owing to their ability to produce flight-relevant enthalpies and total pressures. However, owing to their short operation time, they miss the effect of natural wall-heating. Including this effect by developing a logical and generalized strategy for combining simulations with experimental methods such as electrical heating of a ducted supersonic combustor is the main objective of this project. With this, the differences in the combustor performance compared to the unheated case can be quantified. The data produced from this project will be complementary to direct-connect facilities data which are typically better suited for lower Mach number operations. The project will also provide a world-first assessment of the effect of wall heating on supersonic combustion vs the traditional unheated shock tunnel studies of this phenomena. End-plane CH CX PLIF, OH PLIF and other embedded sensors (thermocouples, pressure sensors) will be utilzed where possible to produce further quantitative data.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 11, 2021
Source ID
FA23862014018

Entities

People

  • Ananthanarayanan Veeraragavan

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • United States Air Force
  • University of Queensland

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Technology.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow