旋转爆震燃烧室与涡轮导向器组合实验研究

旋转爆震涡轮发动机正获得广泛的关注,但旋转爆震燃烧室出口存在着高频的压力波动,压力波动会降低涡轮的工作效率并减小涡轮的工作寿命.基于旋转爆震波的传播特点,开展了旋转爆震燃烧室与涡轮导向器组合结构的实验研究.燃料为H₂,由位于燃烧室前端的120个小孔喷入燃烧室;氧化剂为空气,由径向环缝喷入燃烧室.在燃烧室内起爆旋转爆震波后,爆震产物直接流入导向器内.研究结果表明,随当量比的增加,燃烧室内爆震波的传播速度呈先增大后减小的趋势.在导向器出口仍存在与燃烧室内旋转爆震波同主频的振荡压力,但相对于导向器前的振荡压力,出口压力振幅减小了约64%.旋转爆震波传播速度的相对偏差先减小后增大,并且爆震波传播越稳定,其速度损失越小.      

当量比对圆盘结构下旋转爆震波传播的影响

为研究反应物当量比对旋转爆震波传播过程的影响，在圆盘形旋转爆震发动机上进行H₂/air的旋转爆震实验研究，并统计分析了当量比对爆震波传播模态及参数的影响规律.实验结果表明，固定质量流率，同一种传播模态下，随着当量比的增大，爆震波的压力峰值及传播速度增大，且旋转爆震波的传播过程更加稳定.不同质量流率条件下，当量比对传播模态的影响规律不同.空气质量流率小于100 g/s时，旋转爆震波皆以单波模态传播.空气质量流率大于150 g/s时，随着当量比的增大，旋转爆震波的传播模态由单波模态向双波模态转变，再转变为不对称双波模态，最后又回到单波模态.并且在不对称双波模态中发现了低频振荡现象，振荡频率约为300 Hz.质量流率继续增大，燃烧室中发现了同向三波传播模态.随着质量流率的增加，双波模态的当量比下限降低，不对称双波模态的当量比上限增大，而双波与不对称双波模态的分界线受质量流率的影响较小.      

基于乙烯或氢气的吸气式旋转爆轰发动机实验

基于氢气的旋转爆轰发动机研究较多,而碳氢燃料与空气混合较为困难,导致基于乙烯的旋转爆轰发动机燃烧技术难度很高.使用宽视野范围的可视化燃烧室观察旋转爆轰波的研究在国内尚未开展.在同一燃烧室内进一步开展了乙烯或氢气的吸气式旋转爆轰实验,来流总温为283~284 K,燃烧室壁面有140°石英玻璃观察窗,便于观察旋转爆轰波运动过程.空筒燃烧室爆轰环腔外径为100 mm,轴向长度为151 mm.燃料通过150个直径0.8 mm圆柱孔进入燃烧室,空气通过喉部1 mm宽的收敛扩张环缝流入环腔.高速摄影和低高频压力传感器均验证了旋转爆轰波的存在和速度值.以氢气为燃料的旋转爆轰波速度最高可达理论值的101%,爆轰波增压效应可达40%左右,乙烯旋转爆轰波速度可达理论值的89%.旋转爆轰波结构容易发生变化,不规则.氢气旋转爆轰的维持对燃烧室的结构要求比碳氢燃料要低,比乙烯旋转爆轰波更加稳定.      

旋转爆轰流场的三维结构及其径向变化的数值研究

基于带化学反应的三维Euler方程,采用8组元和24个可逆化学反应的基元反应模型,对等当量比的气相氢气/氧气系统在圆环形燃烧室内的旋转爆轰进行了数值模拟。结果表明,子爆轰波、斜激波和滑移线组成了旋转爆轰波的基本三维结构。由于旋转爆轰燃烧室特殊的几何构型,即内壁的发散和外壁的收敛,使内壁面附近的爆轰强度要小于外壁面附近的爆轰强度,最终实现旋转爆轰波在燃烧室内的自持传播。     

环形通道内爆轰波的起爆机制

旋转爆轰发动机环形燃烧室和预爆轰管的设计是影响发动机点火性能的关键因素。为了获得环形燃烧室中的起爆机制，使用多帧短时开快门摄像法，研究了不同含量氩气稀释的乙炔-氧气爆轰波经直管道沿切向进入环形通道中的传播过程和模式，重点关注爆轰波的失效和重新起爆机制。通过分析胞格模式发现环形通道内爆轰波的传播模式可以分为亚临界、临界和超临界3种状态。环形通道内爆轰波在顺时针和逆时针方向同时传播，根据初始压力和环形管道宽度的不同，会出现完全熄爆模式、熄爆-重新起爆模式和完全不熄爆模式，对应亚临界、临界和超临界3种状态。3种状态在顺时针和逆时针方向出现的顺序并不一致，相比较而言逆时针方向更易熄爆。研究同时也发现重新起爆通过两种方式实现：一种是通过解耦爆轰波与内壁面的反射以及其后的横向爆轰波，另外一种是通过燃烧转爆轰。通过分析直管的临界管径发现，随着环形通道宽度的增大，对于高浓度或低浓度氩气稀释的乙炔-氧气爆轰波，其临界管径均趋近于经典衍射问题中不稳定爆轰波的临界管径。实验研究结论将为旋转爆轰发动机燃烧室和预爆轰管的结构设计提供技术支持。     

弯管内连续旋转爆轰波传播模式实验研究

为研究圆环内爆轰波传播模式的特点,实验在螺旋型的管道内得到了不同初始压力下(p0=4~15 kPa)等当量比的乙烯/氧气预混气体的爆轰性能。采用烟膜片记录爆轰波运行轨迹,高速摄影捕捉火焰面。结果表明:随着初始压力的降低,实验依次得到稳定传播模式、临界传播模式、不稳定传播模式。临界传播模式具有强烈的速度震荡,烟膜板中内壁面附近周期性的出现过驱爆轰的胞格结构。当初始压力接近极限时,圆环内出现驰振爆轰波,驰振爆轰的再生过程是由于压缩效应不断累积而引起的局部爆炸。     

H_2/Air旋转爆震发动机起爆实验研究

为揭示旋转爆震发动机的点火特性,采用普通火花塞和高能火花塞作为发动机点火装置,对以氢气/空气为反应物的旋转爆震发动机进行了实验研究,结合高频压力测量与高速摄影结果分析了旋转爆震波的建立过程,并通过一系列点火实验得到了发动机的稳定工作范围。研究结果表明,两种点火方式均能成功起爆发动机,点火产生的燃烧波通过火焰加速与DDT过程形成旋转爆震波,增大点火能量能够大幅缩短旋转爆震波建立时间。发动机共有三种工作模式,稳定工作范围随燃料质量流量的增加而扩大,且不同工作模式会随反应物当量比的变化而相互转换。     

定容燃烧弹内压力振荡机理研究

本文基于一种具有较好发展前景的醚类汽油添加剂异丙醚(DIPE),在定容燃烧弹内研究了该燃料在不同初始压力下随当量比变化的压力振荡特性。实验结果表明,压力振荡强度随当量比增加呈先增大后减小的趋势,且在当量比1.4附近达到最大值;随初始压力增大,压力振荡的强度也增强。本文通过利用He和CO₂以不同掺混比替代N₂作为稀释气体,验证了定容燃烧弹内的压力振荡主要由压力波与火焰相互影响引起,火焰自加速和混合气能量密度对压力振荡有至关重要的作用。     

混合时间对燃烧稳定性影响的实验研究

燃烧振荡是不稳定燃烧过程与燃烧室内声波耦合产生的一种现象,在燃气轮机的贫预混燃烧室中较为常见,其发生易损坏燃烧室结构及缩短运行寿命。本文通过模型燃烧室进行系列实验研究燃料与空气的混合时间对旋流预混燃烧稳定性的影响规律。实验中通过改变预混长度和空气流速来改变混合时间,通过变当量比获得燃烧振荡与稳定的范围。实验结果表明混合时间对燃烧稳定性有重要影响,仅当混合时间处于一定区间内时才有可能发生燃烧振荡,发生燃烧振荡的当量比范围也与混合时间有关。本文同时还研究了燃烧振荡频率、振幅与当量比和空气流速的关系。     

来流边界层效应下斜坡诱导的斜爆轰波

以超声速预混气中的斜爆轰波为研究对象,对其在来流边界层效应下的特性进行了实验研究.在马赫数为3的超声速预混风洞中,通过斜坡诱导产生了斜爆轰波.当来流的当量比较低时,预混气中产生的是化学反应锋面与激波面非耦合的激波诱导燃烧现象.此时边界层分离区中的化学反应放热将使分离区尺度显著增大,流场非定常性显著增强,激波位置剧烈振荡.当来流的当量比较高时,预混气将产生斜爆轰波.此时边界层分离区会影响到斜爆轰波起爆时的形态.在小尺度分离区下,斜爆轰波起爆时呈突跃结构(有横波);在中等尺度分离区下,流场固有的非定常性使斜爆轰波呈间歇突跃结构;在大尺度分离区下,斜爆轰波起爆则呈完全的平滑结构(无横波).     

Investigation of combustion modes and pressure of reflective shuttling detonation combustor

Detonation combustors are considered promising alternatives to conventional combustors because they offer high thermal efficiency and fast combustion. However, especially for the rotating detonation combustor, the theoretical propulsive performance has not been confirmed in experimental studies because the highly unsteady flow field hinders the measurements process. To understand the involved phenomena in more detail, a reflective shuttling detonation combustor (RSDC) with a rectangular combustion chamber was developed. The interior of the chamber can easily be visualized owing to its two-dimensional quality. Utilizing the RSDC, several combustion tests with gaseous ethylene and oxygen were conducted for different values of mass flow rates and equivalence ratios. Combustion modes from the tests were classified into four types based on the fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the luminous intensity of the CH* self-luminescence images captured by a high-speed camera and a band pass filter. Simultaneously, the theoretical total pressure of a conventional isobaric combustor was compared to the static pressure measured at the bottom of the RSDC chamber. For the detonation modes, the ratio between experimentally measured static pressure and the theoretical pressure varied depending on the location in the chamber owing to the distribution of the time-averaged static pressure. Furthermore, the pressure ratio of the detonation modes was up to 18% lower than that of the deflagration mode potentially owing to the flow velocity induced by the detonation waves.     

Characterizing continuously rotating detonation via nonlinear time series analysis

The sampled pressure signals in continuously rotating detonation combustors have the inherence of nonlinear dynamics. To dig out more information on combustion modes, the nonlinear time series analysis method is thus applied to the pressure-time series obtained at a hydrogen/air rotating detonation combustor by using the phase space reconstruction and wavelet entropy algorithm. The variation of wavelet entropy is approved to be associated with the periodicity variation of pressure signals. Different structures of attractor as well as wavelet entropy distribution in the phase diagram can distinguish the deflagration mode from the unstable and stable detonation modes under the conditions of different air flow rates. The limit-cycle oscillation is exhibited in the phase space diagram with a very low flow rate, here 25 g/s. The mean wavelet entropy of pressure-time series can be a quantitative index of different combustion modes occurring in the combustor. The present study is expected to enhance the understanding of the physical mechanism of continuously rotating detonation and contribute on the development of detonation propulsion technology.     

The effects of mixture preburning on detonation wave propagation

Pressure gain combustion in the form of continuous detonations can provide a significant increase in the efficiency of a variety of propulsion and energy conversion devices. In this regard, rotating detonation engines (RDEs) that utilize an azimuthally-moving detonation wave in annular systems are increasingly seen as a viable approach to realizing pressure gain combustion. However, practical RDEs that employ non-premixed fuel and oxidizer injection need to minimize losses through a number of mechanisms, including turbulence-induced shock-front variations, incomplete fuel-air mixing, and premature deflagration. In this study, a canonical stratified detonation configuration is used to understand the impact of preburning on detonation efficiency. It was found that heat release ahead of the detonation wave leads to weaker shock fronts, delayed combustion of partially-oxidized fuel-air mixture, and non-compact heat release. Furthermore, large variations in wave speeds were observed, which is consistent with wave behavior in full-scale RDEs. Peak pressures in the compression region or near triple points were considerably lower than the theoretically-predicted values for ideal detonations. Analysis of the detonation structure indicates that this deflagration process is parasitic in nature, reducing the detonation efficiency but also leading to heat release far behind the wave that cannot directly strengthen the shock wave. This parasitic combustion leads to commensal combustion (heat release far downstream of the wave), indicating that it is the root cause of combustion efficiency losses.     

Numerical investigation of low-frequency instability and frequency shifting in a scramjet combustor

The combustion instability in a laboratory-scale direct-connect hydrogen-fueled scramjet combustor is investigated numerically. The numerical simulation has been carried out using a delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) with a detailed reaction mechanism. The computational framework has high fidelity by applying multi-dimensional high order accurate schemes for handling convective and viscous fluxes. The field data were accumulated up to 100 milliseconds on each case to capture sufficiently the repetitive behavior of low-frequency instability of order of 100 Hz. The numerical results exhibit the formation/dissipation of pressure and shock wave induced by continuous heat release in the combustor. This motion of pressure/shock wave, so-called upstream-traveling shock wave, presents repeated dynamics between isolator and combustor with a period of several milliseconds. With this periodic hydrodynamic characteristic, the upstream-traveling shock wave interacts with the boundary layer and injected fuel stream affecting fuel/air mixing and burning, and finally inducing the combustion instability in a scramjet combustor. Frequency analysis derived major instability frequencies of 190 Hz and 450 Hz in the isolator and combustor for low and high equivalence ratios, respectively. Current numerical results present the underlying flow physics on the shifting of the instability frequency by changing the equivalence ratio observed by the previous experimental studies. The fact that an instability frequency exists homogeneously from isolator to combustor informs that the combustion instability of scramjet engine is the fully coupled flow/combustion dynamics throughout the engine on a macroscopic scale.     

Experimental characterization of RDE combustor flowfield using linear channel

An experimental study was conducted to characterize fundamental behavior of detonation waves propagating across an array of reactant jets inside a narrow channel, which simulated an unwrapped rotating detonation engine (RDE) configuration. Several key flow features in an ethylene-oxygen combustor were explored by sending detonation waves across reactant jets entering into cold bounding gas as well as hot combustion products. In this setup, ethylene and oxygen were injected separately into each recessed injector tube, while a total of 15 injectors were used to establish a partially premixed reactant jet array. The results revealed various details of transient flowfield, including a complex detonation wave front leading a curved oblique shock wave, the unsteady production of transverse waves at the edge of the reactant jets, and the onset of suppressed reactant jets re-entering the combustor following a detonation wave passage. The visualization images showed a complex, multidimensional, and highly irregular detonation wave front. It appeared non-uniform mixing of reactant jets lead to dynamic transverse wave structure. The refreshed reactant jets evolving in the wake of the detonation wave were severely distorted, indicating the effect of dynamic flowfield and rapid pressure change. The results suggest that the mixing between the fuel and oxidizer, as well as the mixing between the fresh reactants and the background products, should affect the stability of the RDE combustor processes.     

Pulsating one-dimensional detonations in hydrogen–air mixtures

The propagation of one-dimensional detonations in hydrogen–air mixtures is investigated numerically by solving the one-dimensional Euler equations with detailed finite-rate chemistry. The numerical method is based on a second-order spatially accurate total-variation-diminishing scheme and a point implicit time marching algorithm. The hydrogen–air combustion is modelled with a 9-species, 19-step reaction mechanism. A multi-level, dynamically adaptive grid is utilized, in order to resolve the structure of the detonation. Parametric studies for an equivalence ratio range of 0.4–2.0, initial pressure range of 0.2–0.8 bar and different degrees of detonation overdrive demonstrate that the detonation is unstable for low degrees of overdrive, but the dynamics of wave propagation varies with fuel–air equivalence ratio and pressure. For equivalence ratios less than approximately 1.2 and for all pressures, the detonation exhibits a short-period oscillatory mode, characterized by high-frequency, low-amplitude waves. Richer mixtures exhibit a period-doubled bifurcation that depends on the initial pressure. Parametric studies over a degree of overdrive range of 1.0–1.2 for stoichiometric mixtures at 0.42 bar initial pressure indicate that stable detonation wave propagation is obtained at the high end of this range. For degrees of overdrive close to one, the detonation wave exhibits a low-frequency mode characterized by large fluctuations in the detonation wave speed. The McVey–Toong short-period wave-interaction theory is in qualitative agreement with the numerical simulations; however, the frequencies obtained from their theory are much higher, especially for near-stoichiometric mixtures at high pressure. Modification of this theory to account for the finite heat-release time significantly improves agreement with the numerically computed frequency over the entire equivalence ratio and pressure ranges.     

Numerical simulation of a methane-oxygen rotating detonation rocket engine

The rotating detonation engine (RDE) is an important realization of pressure gain combustion for rocket applications. The RDE system is characterized by a highly unsteady flow field, with multiple reflected pressure waves following detonation and an entrainment of partially-burnt gases in the post-detonation region. While experimental efforts have provided macroscopic properties of RDE operation, limited accessibility for optical and flow-field diagnostic equipment constrain the understanding of mechanisms that lend to wave stability, controllability, and sustainability. To this end, high-fidelity numerical simulations of a methane-oxygen rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) with an impinging discrete injection scheme are performed to provide detailed insight into the detonation and mixing physics and anomalous behavior within the system. Two primary detonation waves reside at a standoff distance from the base of the channel, with peak detonation heat release at approximately 10 mm from the injection plane. The high plenum pressures and micro-nozzle injector geometry contribute to fairly stiff injectors that are minimally affected by the passing detonation wave. There is no large scale circulation observed in the reactant mixing region, and the fuel distribution is asymmetric with a rich mixture attached to the inner wall of the annulus. The detonation waves’ strengths spatially fluctuate, with large variations in local wave speed and flow compression. The flow field is characterized by parasitic combustion of the fresh reactant mixture as well as post-detonation deflagration of residual gases. By the exit plane of the RDRE, approximately 95.7% of the fuel has been consumed. In this work, a detailed statistical analysis of the interaction between mixing and detonation is presented. The results highlight the merit of high-fidelity numerical studies in investigating an RDRE system and the outcomes may be used to improve its performance.