Effects of entry conditions on cracked kerosene-fueled supersonic combustor performance

Supersonic combustion of thermally cracked kerosene was experimentally investigated in two model supersonic combustors with different entry cross-section areas. Effects of entry static pressure, entry Mach number, combustor entry geometry, and injection scheme on combustor performance were systematically investigated and discussed based on the measured static pressure distribution and specific thrust increment due to combustion. In addition, the methodology for characterizing flow rate and composition of cracked kerosene was detailed. Using a pulsed Schlieren system, the interaction of supercritical and cracked kerosene jet plumes with a Mach 2.5 crossflow was also visualized at different injection temperatures. The present experimental results suggest that the use of a higher combustor entry Mach number as well as a larger combustor duct height would suppress the boundary layer separation near the combustor entrance and avoid the problem of inlet un- start.

Performance of a Supersonic Model Combustor using Vaporized Kerosene Injection

Characteristics of supersonic combustion by injecting kerosene vapor into a Mach 2.5 crossflow at various preheat temperatures and pressures were investigated experimentally. A two-stage heating system has been designed and tested, which can prepare heated kerosene of 0.8 kg up to 820 K at pressure of 5.5 Mpa with minimum/negligible fuel coking. In order to simulate the thermophysical properties of kerosene over a wide range of thermodynamic conditions, a three-component surrogate that matches the compound class of the parent fuel was employed. The flow rate of kerosene vapor was calibrated using a sonic nozzle. Computed flow rates using the surrogate fuel are in agreement with the experimental data. Kerosene jets at various preheat temperatures injecting into both quiescent environment and Mach 2.5 crossflow were visualized. It was found that at injection pressure of 4 Mpa and preheat temperature of 550 K the kerosene jet was completely in vapor phase, while keeping almost the same penetration depth as compared to the liquid kerosene injection. Supersonic combustion tests were also carried out to compare the combustor performance for the cases of vaporized kerosene injection, liquid kerosene injection, and effervescent atomization with hydrogen barbotage, under the similar stagnation conditions. Experimental results demonstrated that the use of vaporized kerosene injection leads to better combustor performance. Further parametric study on vaporized kerosene injection in a supersonic model combustor is needed to assess the combustion efficiency as well as to identify the controlling mechanism for the overall combustion enhancement.

Investigation of Vaporized Kerosene Injection and Combustion in a Supersonic Model Combustor

Injection and combustion of vaporized kerosene was experimentally investigated in a Mach 2.5 model combustor at various fuel temperatures and injection pressures. A unique kerosene heating and delivery system, which can prepare heated kerosene up to 820 K at a pressure of 5.5 MPa with negligible fuel coking, was developed. A three-species surrogate was employed to simulate the thermophysical properties of kerosene. The calculated thermophysical properties of surrogate provided insight into the fuel flow control in experiments. Kerosene jet structures at various preheat temperatures injecting into both quiescent environment and a Mach 2.5 crossflow were characterized. It was shown that the use ofvaporized kerosene injection holds the potential of enhancing fuel-air mixing and promoting overall burning. Supersonic combustion tests further confirmed the preceding conjecture by comparing the combustor performances of supercritical kerosene with those of liquid kerosene and effervescent atomization with hydrogen barbotage. Under the similar flow conditions and overall kerosene equivalence ratios, experimental results illustrated that the combustion efficiency of supercritical kerosene increased approximately 10-15% over that of liquid kerosene, which was comparable to that of effervescent atomization.

Numerical Study on Kerosene Spray in Supersonic Flow

Numerical simulation was conducted to study the kerosene spray characteristics injecting into supersonic cross flow. The verification of the simulation was carried out by experimental Schlieren image, and the agreement was obtained by compared the spray plume pictures. Furthermore, the aerodynamic secondary breakup effect of the supersonic cross flow on the initial droplets was investigated. It was revealed that the initial parent drops were broken up into small drops whose diameter is about O(10) micrometers soon after they entered into the supersonic cross flow. During the appropriate range of initial drop size, the parent droplets would be broken up into small drops with the same magnitude diameter no matter how large the initial drops SMD was.

An Experimental Study of Kerosene Combustion in a Supersonic Model Combustor Using Effervescent Atomization

Investigation of kerosene combustion in a Mach 2.5 flow was carried out using a model supersonic combustor with cross-section area of 51 mm?70 mm, with special emphases on the characterization of effervescent atomization and the flameholdering mechanism using different integrated fuel injector/flameholder cavity modules. Direct photography, Schlieren imaging, and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of OH were utilized to examine the cavity characteristics and spray structure, with and without gas barbotage. Schlieren images illustrate the effectiveness of gas barbotage in facilitating atomization and the importance of secondary atomization when kerosene sprays interacting with a supersonic crossflow. OH-PLIF images further substantiate our previous finding that there exists a local high temperature radical pool within the cavity flameholder and this radical pool plays a crucial role in promoting kerosene combustion in a supersonic combustor. The present results also demonstrate that the cavity characteristics can be different in non-reacting and reacting supersonic flows. As such, the conventional definition of cavity characteristics based on non-reacting flows needs to be revised.

Propulsive performance of a hypergolic H2O2/kerosene bipropellant

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)/kerosene is a prospective bipropellant due to its high-energy content, high storage density, and environmentally benign properties. The possibility of making it hypergolic renders this option even more attracting. Self-ignitable H2O2/kerosene bipropellants were prepared by combining different candidate catalysts and promoters. Preliminary screening evaluations were conducted by using a dropping-test method. Propulsive performances of the combinations having passed satisfying dropping-test requirements were then investigated on a specially designed thrust engine. The results revealed that short ignition delay and reliable propulsion performances could be acquired in both steady-state and pulse-mode operations, and the combination of kerosene with additives and H2O2 of 90% concentration could still have good performances after 3 months storage time. It is expected that the combination of H2O2 and kerosene can be an efficacious alternative for storable toxic propellants used currently.

超声速气流中横向煤油射流的数值模拟

为了对超声速气流中液体横向射流进行数值模拟，采用Eulerian-Lagmngian方法描述气液两相流动现象，用随机轨道模型追踪液滴的运动历程，并考虑气流可压缩性、流场不均匀性及液滴变形对液滴运动的影响，开发了相应的计算程序。计算结果发现，液体射流与气流之间存在着强烈的相互作用，液滴在进入气流中不久就破碎成很小的子液滴，受煤油液雾的影响气流速度、温度急剧下降，同时在喷孔上游出现～道弓形激波。与液雾结构的纹影图像和液雾穿透的实验结果对比显示，数值计算结果基本合理。

煤油-空气预混气流超声速燃烧数值研究

对以高温燃气作为引导火焰的煤油．空气预混气流超声速燃烧进行了数值模拟，系统研究了预混气流的温度、压力、当量比，以及预混气流与高温燃气的压力匹配关系等多种重要因素对超声速燃烧的影响。结果表明：随着预混气流静温、静压的升高，着火点诱导的压缩波增强，最高燃烧温度升高，火焰传播角相应增大；预混气流的当量比为化学恰当比时，燃烧温度最高；与静压匹配的情况相比，静压不匹配情况下的火焰传播角增大，当预混气流的静压高于高温燃气的静压时，着火点前移，反之，着火点则后移；此外，在多种情况下，燃烧室下壁面边界层都出现了自燃现象。

Experimental investigation on the cavity-based scramjet model

The present work focused on improving the engine performance with different fuel equivalence ratios and fuel injections. A scramjet model with strut/cavity integrated configurations was tested under Mach 5.8 flows. The results showed that the strut may sreve as an effective tool in a kerosene-fueled scramjet. The integration of strut/cavities also had great effect on stablizing the combustion in a wide range of fuel equivalence ratio. The one-sdimensional analysis method was used to analyze the main characteristics of the model. The two-stage fuel injection should have better performance in increasing the chemical reaction rate in the first cavity region.

硅烷对JP10和煤油点火特性影响的激波管研究

在JP10和煤油点火特性激波管实验的基础上,实验研究了硅烷对这两种典型高碳数碳氢燃料点火特性的影响.在预加热到70℃的激波管上,采用缝合运行条件获得了近7ms的实验时间,将实验延伸至低温区.采用气相色谱分析和高精度真空仪直接测定压力相结合的方法,确定了燃料气相浓度,解决了高碳数碳氢燃料点火激波管实验时由于管壁吸附影响燃料气相浓度确定的困难.实验记录了点火过程中OH自由基发射强度变化,并作为判断点火发生的标志.实验温度范围880～1 800K,压力范围0.16～0.53MPa.当硅烷加入量约为燃料的10%～15%(摩尔比),质量比为2%～3%,观测到明显的点火促进作用.该研究对超燃研究中发动机设计、燃料选择等方面具有直接的工程意义,也可用于检验燃烧化学动力学模型的合理性.

煤油射流在超声速燃烧室中的实验研究

在超声速燃烧室中分别采用气泡雾化煤油与纯煤油射流进行实验,研究不同情况对燃料的雾化和贯穿深度的影响.实验选用纹影法记录实验段图像,拍摄了不同注射压强条件下燃料有无气泡雾化的流场照片,对时间平均流场和瞬态流场分别进行记录.实验结果表明:气泡雾化的确明显地提高了液体燃料的雾化程度,但对贯穿深度没有显著的影响,提高贯穿深度的有效方法是增加射流压强.

超声速模型燃烧室中气化煤油喷注研究

利用直接照相和纹影显示研究了不同预热温度的煤油喷注到静态大气和马赫数2.5的横向气流时射流结构.煤油加热系统可将0.8kg煤油加热到670K和5.5MPa压力.比较4MPa压力下290K～550K不同温度的煤油射流结构可以发现,550K煤油射流一旦流出立即完全气化,并且保持贯穿深度基本不变.结果表明:喷注汽化燃料有可能改善液体碳氢燃料超声速燃烧室的性能,因为至少省却了雾化和气化过程.

Experimental Studies on Model Scramjet in a Mach 6 High Enthalpy Free-Jet Wind Tunnel

A side-wall compression scramjet model with different combustor geometries has been tested in a propulsion tunnel that typically provides the testing flow with Mach number of 5.8, total temperature of 1800K, total pressure of 4.5MPa and mass flow rate of 4kg/s. This kerosene-fueled scramjet model consists of a side-wall compression inlet, a combustor and a thrust nozzle. A strut was used to increase the contraction ratio and to inject fuels, as well as a mixing enhancement device. Several wall cavities were also employed for flame-holding. In order to shorten the ignition delay time of the kerosene fuel, a little amount of hydrogen was used as a pilot flame. The pressure along the combustor has an evident raise after ignition occurred. Consequently thrust was observed during the fuel-on period. However, the thrust was still less than the drag of the scramjet model. For this reason, the drag variation produced by different strut and cavities was tested. Typical results showed that the cavities do not influence the drag so much, but the length of the strut does.

Numerical Research on Liquid Spray in Supersonic Cross Flow

Numerical simulation was conducted to characterize the kerosene spray injecting into supersonic cross flow, especially focusing on the aerodynamic secondary breakup effect of the supersonic cross flow on the initial droplets. It was revealed that the initial parent drops were broken up into small drops whose diameter is about O(10) micrometers soon after they entered into the supersonic cross flow. During the appropriate range of initial drop size, the parent droplets would be broken up into small drops with the same magnitude diameter no matter how large the initial drops SMD was.

Experimental Studies on Scramjet Tested in a Freejet Facility

Two different type scramjet models with side-wall compression and top-wall compression inlets have been tested in HPTF (Hypersonic Propulsion Test Facility) under the experimental conditions of Mach number 5.8, total temperature 1700K, total pressure 4.5MPa and mass flow rate 3.5kg/s. The liquid kerosene was used as main fuel for the scramjets. In order to get fast ignition in the combustor, a small amount of hydrogen was used as a pilot. A strut with alternative tail was employed for increasing the compression ratio and for mixing enhancement in the side-wall compression case. Recessed cavities were used as a flameholder for combustion stability. The combustion efficiency was estimated by one dimensional theory. The uniformity of the facility nozzle flow was verified by a scanning pitot rake. The experimental results showed that the kerosene fuel was successfully ignited and stable combustion was achieved for both scramjet models. However the thrusts were still less than the model drags due to the low combustion efficiencies.