Three-dimensional modeling of rotating detonation in a ramjet engine

Numerical investigations of hybrid rocket engines

Onset of detonation in hydrogen-air mixtures due to shock wave reflection inside a combustion chamber

The feasibility of mode control in rotating detonation engine

A shock tube study of ignition delay in the combustion of ethylene

Detonation onset following shock wave focusing

Oxidation of ethylene/air mixtures has been investigated behind reflected shock waves in a shock tube of 76 mm in diameter. Experiments were performed within the temperature range of 1060–1520 K, pressures of 5.9–16.5 atm, and stoichiometries of ϕ  = 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. Emissions of OH (308.9 nm), CH (431.5 nm) and C 2 (516.5 nm) molecules, pressures and ion current records were implemented to measure ignition times of the mixture along the centreline of the tube and in the boundary layer. Empirical correlations for ethylene ignition times have been deduced from the experimental data. Auto-ignition modes (strong, transient and weak) and ignition limits of the mixtures were identified comparing velocities of reflected shock wave and reaction front at different locations from the reflecting wall. Extensive database for validations of high-temperature ethylene reaction mechanism and numerical methods for reaction flow simulations has been obtained from experimental observations.

High-pressure ethylene oxidation behind reflected shock waves

Meta-stable systems are those staying in the local equilibrium state: being slightly deviated from it they return to the equilibrium, but in case deviation surpasses a critical value those systems fall down to another equilibrium state. Chemically reacting gaseous mixture provides a typical example of a meta-stable system. The paper is aimed at numerical and experimental investigation of detonation initiation in hydrogen-air mixtures due to focusing of a shock wave reflected inside a wedge. Both numerical and experimental investigations were conducted. Comparison of numerical and experimental results made it possible to validate the developed 3D transient mathematical model of chemically reacting gas mixture flows incorporating hydrogen-air mixtures. Kinetic schemes and turbulence models were improved based on comparison of numerical and experimental results. Several different flow scenarios manifest in the reflection of shock waves all being dependent on the incident shock wave intensity: reflection of the shock wave with lagging behind the combustion zone, formation of a detonation wave in reflection and focusing, and intermediate transient regimes.

Nonequilibrium processes in meta-stable media⋆.

A rapid compression machine (RCM) and a shock tube (ST) have been employed to study ignition delay times of homogeneous methane/air mixtures at intermediate-to-high temperatures. Both facilities allow measurements to be made at temperatures of 900–2000 K, at pressures of 0.38–2.23 MPa, and at equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. In ST experiments, nitrogen served as a diluent gas, whereas in RCM runs the diluent gas composition ranged from pure nitrogen to pure argon. Recording pressure, UV, and visible emissions identified the evolution of chemical reactions. Correlations of ignition delay time were generated from the data for each facility. At temperatures below 1300 K, a significant reduction of average activation energy from 53 to 15.3 kcal/mol was obtained. Moreover, the RCM data showed significant scatter that dramatically increased with decreasing temperature. An explanation for the abnormal scatter in the data was proposed based on the high-speed visualization of auto-ignition phenomena and experiments performed with oxygen-free and fuel-free mixtures. It is proposed that the main reason for such a significant reduction of average activation energy is attributable to the premature ignition of ultrafine particles in the reactive mixture.

K. L. Sevrouk

Papers

Onset of detonation in hydrogen-air mixtures due to shock wave reflection inside a combustion chamber

Detonation onset following shock wave focusing

High-pressure ethylene oxidation behind reflected shock waves

Nonequilibrium processes in meta-stable media⋆.

Auto-ignitions of a methane/air mixture at high and intermediate temperatures