Investigation on the flameholding mechanisms in supersonic flows: backward-facing step and cavity flameholder

Abstract  

As effective devices to extend the fuel residence time in supersonic flow and prolong the duration time for hypersonic vehicles cruising in the near-space with power, the backward-facing step and the cavity are widely employed in hypersonic airbreathing propulsive systems as flameholders. The two-dimensional coupled implicit RANS equations, the standard k-ε turbulence model, and the finite-rate/eddy-dissipation reaction model have been used to generate the flow field structures in the scramjet combustors with the backward-facing step and the cavity flameholders. The flameholding mechanism in the combustor has been investigated by comparing the flow field in the corner region of the backward-facing step with that around the cavity flameholder. The obtained results show that the numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data, and the different grid scales make only a slight difference to the numerical results. The vortices formed in the corner region of the backward-facing step, in the cavity and upstream of the fuel injector make a large difference to the enhancement of the mixing between the fuel and the free airstream, and they can prolong the residence time of the mixture and improve the combustion efficiency in the supersonic flow. The size of the recirculation zone in the scramjet combustor partially depends on the distance between the injection and the leading edge of the cavity. Further, the shock waves in the scramjet combustor with the cavity flameholder are much stronger than those that occur in the scramjet combustor with the backward-facing step, and this causes a large increase in the static pressure along the walls of the combustor.     

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.     

Combustion characteristics of a dual-mode scramjet combustor with cavity flameholder

Combustion characteristics of a laboratory dual-mode ramjet/scramjet combustor were studied experimentally. The combustor consists of a sonic fuel jet injected into a supersonic crossflow upstream of a wall cavity pilot flame. These fundamental components are contained in many dual-mode combustor designs. Experiments were performed with an isolator entrance Mach number of 2.2. Air stagnation temperatures were varied from 1040 to 1490 K, which correspond to flight Mach numbers of 4.3–5.4. Both pure hydrogen and a mixture of hydrogen and ethylene fuels were used. High speed imaging of the flame luminosity was performed along with measurements of the isolator and combustor wall pressures. For ramjet mode operation, two distinct combustion stabilization locations were found for fuel injection a sufficient distance upstream of the cavity. At low T₀, the combustion was anchored at the leading edge of the cavity by heat release in the cavity shear layer. At high T₀, the combustion was stabilized a short distance downstream of the fuel injection jet in the jet-wake. For an intermediate range of T₀, the reaction zone oscillated between the jet-wake and cavity stabilization locations. Wall pressure measurements showed that cavity stabilized combustion was the steadiest, followed by jet-wake stabilized, and the oscillatory case. For fuel injection close to the cavity, a hybrid stabilization mode was found in which the reaction zone locations for the two stabilization modes overlapped. For this hybrid stabilization, cavity fueling rate was an important factor in the steadiness of the flow field. Scramjet mode combustion was found to only exist in the cavity stabilized location for the conditions studied.     

支板凹腔一体化超燃冲压发动机实验研究

本文针对以凹腔支板一体化燃烧室为基本结构的超燃冲压模型发动机在自由射流风洞中的性能,主要研究了燃料在不同位置喷入时,燃烧室几何结构/气动性能/燃料混合及燃烧特性的相互耦合,以及对发动机推力性能的影响.结果表明支板与凹腔的一体化在合理配置燃料分布情况下可以获得较好的发动机性能.     

JF12激波风洞高Mach数超燃冲压发动机实验研究

针对高Mach数（Ma ≥ 7）超燃冲压发动机高气动阻力下的燃烧组织问题,提出一种双突扩燃烧室结构方案.使用数值模拟方法考察了射流与双突扩燃烧室组合方式的混合燃烧特性.设计了双突扩超燃冲压发动机模型,在力学研究所JF12长试验时间激波风洞内,开展了Ma=7.0和Ma=9.5的氢燃料点火和燃烧试验对比.在风洞有效试验时间100 ms内,实现了Ma=7.0和Ma=9.5超燃冲压发动机的成功点火与稳定燃烧.在Ma=7.0情况下,进气道采用三维压缩,燃烧室入口设计Mach数Ma_c=2.5,壁面压力分布实验结果显示燃烧放热靠近燃烧室扩张段上游;在Ma=9.5情况下,进气道采用二维压缩,燃烧室入口设计Mach数Ma_c=3.5,由于燃烧室流动速度特别高,燃烧放热靠近燃烧室扩张段下游.      

吸气式高超声速飞行器机体/推进一体化内外流非定常耦合方法

基于吸气式高超声速飞行器机体/推进一体化的气动布局设计方式,文章提出了一种内外流一体化流场的耦合求解方法,其中燃烧室内流场采用考虑有限速率化学反应动力学模型的一维非稳态方法求解,进气道和尾喷管外流场采用二维CFD软件计算,进气道与燃烧室在耦合界面处通过一维平均方法实现静温、静压和Mach数等参数传递.并分别以日本国家航空与航天实验室（NAL）的氢燃料燃烧室模型作为内流场验证算例,以某典型高超声速飞行器一体化模型作为内外耦合流场验证算例.研究结果表明:有限速率化学反应准一维方法能较为准确地模拟燃烧室内燃烧流场,提出的内外流场耦合方法能够有效地计算出内外流耦合效应,计算后体压力分布与理论值较接近.该方法可为超燃冲压发动机的性能快速分析和吸气式高超声速飞行器机体/推进一体化的初步分析设计提供重要参考.      

烧蚀支板对超燃冲压发动机燃烧室性能的影响

为了提高超燃冲压发动机燃烧室的性能,本文提出了燃料喷注支板与烧蚀支板组合的燃烧室新方案,并研究了新方案对超燃冲压发动机燃烧室性能的影响。相比于单燃料喷注支板方式而言,加入烧蚀支板后,虽然燃烧室内的总压恢复系数有所下降,但燃烧室内燃料与空气的混合效率、燃烧效率均有显著提高,燃烧效率的提高弥补了燃烧室内总压损失所带来的机械能损失,使得燃料喷注支板和烧蚀支板组合方式下的燃烧室比冲高于单燃料喷注支板时的比冲。     

Dual/scram-mode combustion limits of ethylene and surrogate endothermically-cracked hydrocarbon fuels at Mach 8 equivalent high-enthalpy conditions

This paper examines the scram/dual-mode combustion limits of hydrocabon fuels within a Mach 8, scramjet combustor. Flight-equivalent flows were delivered to the axisymmetric, cavity combustor via a reflected shock tunnel. Two scramjet fuels were examined: ethylene and a surrogate mixture representing endothermically cracked n-dodecane. Combustion modes were examined via static pressure sensors and through both chemiluminescence imaging, and planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH combustion radical in the combustor exhaust plume. Ethylene-fuelled experiments developed scram-mode combustion under reduced fuelling conditions, experiencing shock wave dominated flowfields. OH PLIF diagnostics indicated such combustion modes developed a ring-like structure of combustion products, primarily axisymmetrically adjacent to the combustor wall. Increased fuelling anchored combustion downstream of the fuel injector, while further increases instigated dual-mode combustion. In this mode, subsonic combustion regions combine with the supersonic coreflow to permit the transfer of information upstream with substantially increased pressure encountered. Optical diagnostics indicate broadly asymmetric, unsteady combustion features. The surrogate mixture representing endothermically cracked n-dodecane experienced rapid onset from no-combustion (optically confirmed) to fully developed dual-mode combustion at critical fuelling rates. OH PLIF signals and chemiluminescence of this fuel were weaker than comparable ethylene cases, indicating potential differences in combustion pathways.     

进口条件对超燃冲压发动机氢气燃烧流场特性的影响分析

对不同进口条件下的超燃冲压发动机燃烧室内氢气喷流超声速燃烧流动特性进行了数值模拟与分析.宽范围超燃冲压发动机是吸气式高超声速飞行器推进系统设计中的热点问题之一,受实验设备硬件条件及实验技术限制,数值模拟技术仍然是超燃冲压发动机燃烧室内燃气燃烧特性及流场特性的主要研究手段.采用基于混合网格技术的多组元N-S方程有限体积方法求解器,在不同进口Mach数及压强条件下,对带楔板/凹腔结构的燃烧室模型氢气喷流燃烧流场进行了数值模拟,对比分析了氢气喷流穿透深度、喷口前后回流区结构、掺混效率及燃烧效率等流场结构与典型流场参数的变化特性及影响规律.研究成果可为宽范围超燃冲压发动机喷流燃烧流动特性分析提供参考.      

进入轨道偏差对火星科学实验室气动力特性的影响

针对火星科学实验室(MSL)高超声速进入过程,利用三维并行程序求解流体力学Navier-Stokes方程,耦合真实气体模型,分析火星大气中真实气体效应对进入器气动力特性的影响量在进入轨道发生偏差时的变化规律.结果表明:对海盗号的计算结果与飞行数据符合很好,验证了火星大气真实气体模型和计算方法;真实气体效应影响下,激波层厚度大为减小,温度下降明显,进入器阻力系数明显增加,升力系数变化不大,俯仰力矩系数增加,基准状态下配平攻角较完全气体减小约2.2°;高度不变,Ma数增加导致阻力系数和俯仰力矩系数增大,配平攻角和完全气体的差值由1.6°增加到2.6°,表明Ma数变大时真实气体效应引起的气动力变化增强;Ma数不变,高度增加略微减弱波后化学反应,对进入器气动力特性基本没有影响.     

一种新型的超燃冲压发动机闭式冷却循环

热防护技术是发展高超音速的关键技术之一.为了降低冷却用燃料需求,本文提出了基于闭式Brayton循环的超燃冲压发动机冷却循环,旨在提出一个缓解超燃冲压发动机热防护压力的新方法、新思路,同时可为高超音速飞行器提供足够的电力供应.文中介绍了冷却循环的组成和工作原理,定义了评价冷却循环性能的参数,在考虑系统内、外不可逆性的基础上,完成了系统的性能分析,分析表明该冷却循环可有效地节约冷却用燃料消耗,大幅提升超燃冲压发动机热防护系统性能.     

CFD analysis of the HyShot II scramjet combustor

The development of novel air-breathing engines such as supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) depends on the understanding of supersonic mixing, self-ignition and combustion. These aerothermochemical processes occur together in a scramjet engine and are notoriously difficult to understand. In the present study, we aim at analyzing the HyShot II scramjet combustor mounted in the High Enthalpy Shock Tunnel Göttingen (HEG) by using Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models with detailed and reduced chemistry. To account for the complicated flow in the HEG facility a zonal approach is adopted in which RANS is used to simulate the flow in the HEG nozzle and test-section, providing the necessary inflow boundary conditions for more detailed RANS and LES of the reacting flow in the HyShot combustor. Comparison of predicted wall pressures and heat fluxes with experimental data show good agreement, and in particular does the LES agree well with the experimental data. The LES results are used to elucidate the flow, mixing, self-ignition and subsequent combustion processes in the combustor. The combustor flow can be separated into the mixing zone, in which turbulent mixing from the jet-in-cross flow injectors dominates, the self-ignition zone, in which self-ignition rapidly takes place, and the turbulent combustion zone, located towards the end of the combustor, in which most of the heat release and volumetric expansion takes place. Self-ignition occurs at some distance downstream of the injectors, resulting in a distinct pressure rise further downstream due to the volumetric expansion as observed in the experiments. The jet penetration is about 30% of the combustor height and the combustion efficiency is found to be around 83%.     

Estimation of energetic efficiency of heat supply in front of the aircraft at supersonic accelerated flight. Part II. Mathematical model of the trajectory boost part and computational results

The fuel economy was estimated at boost trajectory of aerospace plane during energy supply to the free stream. Initial and final velocities of the flight were given. A model of planning flight above cold air in infinite isobaric thermal wake was used. The comparison of fuel consumption was done at optimal trajectories. The calculations were done using a combined power plant consisting of ramjet and liquid-propellant engine. An exergy model was constructed in the first part of the paper for estimating the ramjet thrust and specific impulse. To estimate the aerodynamic drag of aircraft a quadratic dependence on aerodynamic lift is used. The energy for flow heating is obtained at the sacrifice of an equivalent decrease of exergy of combustion products. The dependencies are obtained for increasing the range coefficient of cruise flight at different Mach numbers. In the second part of the paper, a mathematical model is presented for the boost part of the flight trajectory of the flying vehicle and computational results for reducing the fuel expenses at the boost trajectory at a given value of the energy supplied in front of the aircraft. Sections, formulas, and figures have a numbering continued from the first part of the paper printed in the journal “Thermophysics and Aeromechanics”, 2008, Vol. 15, No. 4, P. 537–548.     

超燃冲压发动机推进性能理论分析

超燃冲压发动机的正推力问题和超声速燃烧的稳定性问题是制约超燃冲压发动机发展的两个关键气动物理问题.虽然经过50多年的研究,但是目前国内外对这两个关键问题的机理还没有研究清楚.文章首次将CJ爆轰理论应用于超燃冲压发动机推进性能分析,给出了这两个关键气动问题的理论分析结果.分析结果表明,燃烧室入口空气静温对发动机的推进性能产生重要影响.当爆轰波的爆速大于隔离段内空气来流的速度时,会向隔离段上游传播,导致发动机不起动.飞行Mach数Ma=6~8是超燃发动机的临界不稳定范围,飞行Mach数Ma>9,超声速燃烧将变得稳定.      

Combustion characteristics in a small-scale reactor with catalyst segmentation and cavities

Hydrogen–air combustion characteristics of a small-scale reactor with different catalyst layouts and configurations are experimentally and numerically investigated. Four different platinum catalyst layouts are used to investigate the effect of catalyst segmentation on combustion performance. It is found that combustion phenomena are strongly related to the variations of inflow velocity, equivalence ratio, and length of catalyst segment. The existence of hetero- and homogeneous reactions in the combustor relies on sufficient catalytically induced exothermicity as well as sufficient hydrogen in the remaining mixture. Besides, the multi-segment catalyst with cavities appreciably extends the stable operating range of catalytic combustion in a small-scale combustor for a wide range of inflow velocities. Nevertheless, gas-phase reaction can be sustained and anchored by the existence of cavity in a small-scale system. The reactor with proposed mechanisms can be applied to various small-scale power, heat generation, and propulsion systems.     

非惯性弹道飞行器气动布局设计实践

从阻力主导惯性再入到升力主导机动再入是无动力高超声速飞行器的主要发展方向, 文章讨论了任务使命动力配置飞行模式及总体规模限制下的布局设计原则, 研究了不同构型升阻效率及升力载荷系数与模线形状横截面形状及容积利用率分段装填容积间的关系, 探讨了包括拉起/下压滑翔弹跳/滑翔等射面机动与Z字螺旋锥形空间机动等飞行模式与匹配的气动操纵面设计质心布置压心/静稳定裕度纵横向静动稳定性等, 从热安全角度提出了总体/气动/防热/结构/弹道/控制等多物理场高度耦合下的飞行器热力气动布局多学科设计优化, 结合非惯性弹道飞行器气动布局设计问题, 给出了满足分段容积要求防热要求及操稳要求的飞行器气动构型设计优化实例.      

Simultaneous sensing of temperature,CO, and CO2 in a scramjet combustor using quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy

A mid-infrared laser absorption sensor was developed for gas temperature and carbon oxide (CO, CO₂) concentrations in high-enthalpy, hydrocarbon combustion flows. This diagnostic enables non-intrusive, in situ measurements in harsh environments produced by hypersonic propulsion ground test facilities. The sensing system utilizes tunable quantum cascade lasers capable of probing the fundamental mid-infrared absorption bands of CO and CO₂ in the 4–5 µm wavelength domain. A scanned-wavelength direct absorption technique was employed with two lasers, one dedicated to each species, free-space fiber-coupled using a bifurcated hollow-core fiber for remote light delivery on a single line of sight. Scanned-wavelength modulation spectroscopy with second-harmonic detection was utilized to extend the dynamic range of the CO measurement. The diagnostic was field-tested on a direct-connect scramjet combustor for ethylene–air combustion. Simultaneous, laser-based measurements of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide provide a basis for evaluating combustion completion or efficiency with temporal and spatial resolution in practical hydrocarbon-fueled engines.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of the characteristics of a ramjet power plant with a continuous-detonation combustor in supersonic flight

Multi-variant three-dimensional numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility of the continuous- detonation process in an annular combustor of a ramjet power plant operating on hydrogen as fuel and air as oxidant in conditions of flight at a Mach number of M ₀ = 5.0 and an altitude of 20 km. Conceptual schemes of an axisymmetric power plant, 400 mm in external diameter and 1.3 to 1.5 m in length, with a supersonic intake, divergent annular combustor, and outlet nozzle with a frusto-conical central body are proposed. Calculations of the characteristics of the internal and external flows, with consideration given to the finite rate of turbulent-molecular mixing of the fuel mixture components with each other and with the combustion products, as well as the finite rate of chemical reactions and the viscous interaction of the flow with the bounding surfaces, have shown that, in these flight conditions, the engine of such a power plant has the following performance characteristics: the thrust, 10.7 kN; specific thrust, 0.89 (kN s)/kg; specific impulse, 1210 s; and specific fuel?consumption 0.303 kg/(N h). In this case, the combustor can operate with one detonation wave traveling in the annular channel at an average velocity of 1695 m/s, which corresponds to a detonation wave rotation frequency of 1350 Hz. It is shown that, an operating combustor has regions with subsonic flow of detonation products, but the flow is supersonic throughout its outlet section.     

Experimental investigation of ethylene/air combustion instability in a model scramjet combustor using image-based methods

The combustion instabilities of supersonic combustion were investigated experimentally in a laboratory-scale scramjet combustor with a cavity flame holder. Ethylene was injected transversely from an orifice to the supersonic flow of Mach 2 with a stagnation temperature of 1900 K and a total pressure of 0.37 MPa. The dynamic pressure, CH* chemiluminescence and shadowgraph images were measured with a pressure sensor and a high-speed video camera. Dynamic pressure was analyzed by fast Fourier transform, and time-resolved CH* chemiluminescence images were modally decomposed by the sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition (SP-DMD). The results indicated that two combustion instabilities were observed for cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion and the oscillation between jet-wake stabilized and cavity shear-layer ram combustions for the power spectral density (PSD) of pressure. In the case of the combustion instability of cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion, a dominant peak of approximately 128 Hz was observed for the PSD of pressure. This instability corresponded to an entire flame oscillation of the cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion, which was validated by the SP-DMD and a low rank reproduction with 10 modes. This was driven by a fuel injection oscillation in the injection orifice. In the case of oscillation between the jet-wake stabilized and the cavity shear-layer ram combustions, peaks around 1600 Hz were observed for the PSD of pressure. This mechanism was also explained by the SP-DMD modes and a low rank reproduction using within 10 modes. The DMD and shadowgraph images indicated that the vortex formed by a separation of the boundary layer induced a strong jet-wake flame, resulting in the temporal thermal choke followed by cavity shear-layer stabilized ram combustion. The data-driven approach with SP-DMD clarified the combustion instability mechanisms of the supersonic combustion in detail.     

点火位置对激光等离子体减阻效能的影响

利用激光等离子体减小高超声速飞行器波阻是一种新概念减阻方式,点火位置是研究减阻效能的重要参数。基于有限体积法和分区结构网格划分的高分辨力数值方法,在气流马赫数为6.5、飞行高度为30km条件下,计算了不同点火位置对减小高超声速飞行器波阻的影响。研究结果表明:利用激光等离子体可以有效地减小高超声速钝头体飞行器波阻;点火位置到驻点的距离与飞行器直径之比为2时,减阻效果最好,且数值模拟与理论计算结果吻合较好。