STABILIZATION OF SUPERSONIC CORE FLOW COMBUSTION USING A FLOW THROUGH RDC (FTDRC)
Abstract
Rotating detonation combustors (RDCs) are highly complex, state-of-the-art combustors that have one or more detonation waves that rotate along the circumference of the device at greater than 1kHz; this is an inherently unsteady and supersonic process that produces higher available work. RDCs fall under the spectrum of pressure gain combustion (PGC) devices that produce a net stagnation pressure increase across the combustor element. Despite the considerable progress made until now on the different facets of RDCs, substantial research is still warranted to ascertain the basic physics, and apply RDCs as a real-world, propulsion and power-generation devices. In particular, the highly three-dimensional, spatiotemporally varying structure of the rotating detonation wave and the concomitant combusting profile is currently hard to ascertain, experimentally, due to the extreme high-pressure and high-temperature environment. The current proposal intends to investigate the feasibility and performance of using a flow through rotating detonation combustor to stabilize combustion in a supersonic core flow. The tests will be performed in two facilities. In the first, the RDC is operated with fuel and air at room temperature and a wide range of diagnostics are available including a high-speed PLIF system. In the second, the RDC will be operated with heated air and fuel and high-speed chemiluminescence and high frequency response pressure transducers will be utilized for the measurements. By harnessing the increased power offered by rotating detonations and based on our experience in using RDC to stabilize low speed flow core combustion, it is postulated that we can achieve similar performance at much higher core speeds. However, such a claim needs experimental evidence, and this proposal contains a series of tasks oriented towards the ultimate goal of attaining, characterizing and understanding the interaction of rotating detonations with supersonic core-flow at high temperature.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210396
Entities
People
- Ephraim Gutmark
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Cincinnati