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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Performance And Operability Of A Dual Cavity Flame Holder In A Supersonic Combustor, Mackenzie J. Collatz
Performance And Operability Of A Dual Cavity Flame Holder In A Supersonic Combustor, Mackenzie J. Collatz
Theses and Dissertations
The current generation of hydrocarbon fueled scramjet combustors typically requires a flame holding device to facilitate flame ignition and stable combustion. The amount of time available for fuel injection, fuel-air mixing, and combustion is very short, on the order of 1 millisecond. This short dwell time, along with the relatively long ignition delay times of hydrocarbon fuels, makes the flow path and flame holder design extremely important. This study investigates the performance and operability of using a symmetric dual cavity flame holder flow path to stabilize and enhance supersonic combustion. Testing of this flow path configuration, as well as a …
Computational Analysis Of Geometric Effects On Strut Induced Mixing In A Scramjet Combustor, Matthew G. Bagg
Computational Analysis Of Geometric Effects On Strut Induced Mixing In A Scramjet Combustor, Matthew G. Bagg
Theses and Dissertations
In order to increase the fuel-air mixing in a scramjet combustion section, the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Research lab investigated methods to increase the mixing efficiency. Previous experimental work identified the advantages of using a strut upstream of a cavity flame holder to increase the fuel-air mixture. In this paper a computational investigation of strut injectors in a supersonic flow with a cavity flame holder is reported. This research focused on understanding the effect of a change in height and width of the strut upstream of the combustion cavity on the mixing efficiency and pressure …
Critical Design Parameters For Pylon-Aided Gaseous Fuel Injection Upstream Of A Flameholding Cavity, Mitchell R. Pohlman
Critical Design Parameters For Pylon-Aided Gaseous Fuel Injection Upstream Of A Flameholding Cavity, Mitchell R. Pohlman
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force Institute of Technology and the AFRL are investigating means to increase the efficiency of fuel-air mixing into supersonic flow. Previous work has shown much promise in increasing the penetration and mixing of a fuel-air mixture into the freestream by injecting fuel behind small triangular pylons. Pylon-aided fuel injection has also shown to lift the fuel plume off the combustor floor; this floor-gap prevents the ignition of fuel seeded in the boundary layer. In this paper twenty-one pylons of varying widths, heights, and lengths were examined in four specific test matrices within a CFD environment. Pylons in test …
Pylon Effects On A Scramjet Cavity Flameholder Flowfield, Andrew B. Freeborn
Pylon Effects On A Scramjet Cavity Flameholder Flowfield, Andrew B. Freeborn
Theses and Dissertations
Cavity flameholders in supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) combustors, while effective, fail to take advantage of the full combustor volume. Adding a pylon to the leading edge of a cavity flameholder generates a flowfield increasing mass exchange between the cavity and main combustor flow, increasing the mixing interface between flameholder products and main combustor flow, and exhibiting minimal Reynolds number effects. To demonstrate this modified flowfield driven by supersonic expansion behind the pylon, pylon-cavity flameholder flowfield data were obtained through a combination of wind tunnel experimentation and steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Flowfield effects of the pylon-cavity were examined at a …
Hypermixer Pylon Fuel Injection For Scramjet Combustors, Jason C. Doster
Hypermixer Pylon Fuel Injection For Scramjet Combustors, Jason C. Doster
Theses and Dissertations
Fueling the core airflow of a circular or elliptical scramjet combustor cross-section often requires intrusive geometries. Intrusive geometries can distribute the fuel evenly across the combustor cross-section and act as a flameholder for the fuel/air mixture. Compared to conventional transverse or angled wall injection, intrusive geometries allow easier penetration into the core combustor airflow and reduced fuel injection pressures. The design and testing of an intrusive pylon geometry for scramjet combustor fueling is the subject of this research. Three pylon configurations are compared: a basic pylon, a ramp pylon, and an alternating wedge pylon. All three pylon configurations exhibit the …
Aerodynamic Loss And Mixing Over A Cavity Flame Holder Located Downstream Of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection, Lane C. Haubelt
Aerodynamic Loss And Mixing Over A Cavity Flame Holder Located Downstream Of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection, Lane C. Haubelt
Theses and Dissertations
Cavity-based fuel injection and flame holding found in hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet applications are of interest. The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio are investigating the enhancement of fuel-air mixing with small pylons that project into the supersonic flow upstream of a flame holder cavity. This follows previous qualitative (Mie scattering and NO-PLIF visualizations) results which suggested that injection behind pylons, may improve fuel-air mixing. Three pylons geometries (medium, tall, and wide) shaped as thin triangular wedges with a 30o inclination angle were tested and compared to baseline …
Performance Measurements Of Direct Air Injection In A Cavity-Based Flameholder For A Supersonic Combustor, Scott G. Edens
Performance Measurements Of Direct Air Injection In A Cavity-Based Flameholder For A Supersonic Combustor, Scott G. Edens
Theses and Dissertations
For several years the Air Force Research Lab Propulsion Directorate has been studying the difficulties in fueling supersonic combustion ramjet engines with hydrocarbon based fuels. Recent investigations have focused on the use of direct air injection into a directly-fueled cavity-based flameholder. Direct air injection has been shown qualitatively to be a valuable tool for improving cavity combustion. Little quantitative data is available that characterizes the performance of cavity-based flameholders. The objective of this research was to quantitatively determine the specific advantages and disadvantages of the direct air injection scheme. This was accomplished via intrusive probing into a supersonic free stream …
Study Of Magnetogasdynamic Flow Acceleration In A Scramjet Nozzle, Erik K. Ross
Study Of Magnetogasdynamic Flow Acceleration In A Scramjet Nozzle, Erik K. Ross
Theses and Dissertations
The research project studied the benefits of Magnetogasdynamic (MGD) acceleration on a scramjet nozzle. MGD is a technology that relies on electromagnetic fields to extract and/or add energy to flow fields. The scramjet engine in the "AJAX" concept proposed by D.I. Brichkii et al. (2001) of St. Petersburg, Russia would utilize an MGD power generator in the diffuser user which could potentially provide electrical power for the aircraft support systems and an MGD accelerator in the nozzle of the engine. Using an AFRL/VAAC CFD code that was modified for MGD computations, this project investigated the effect conductivity and load factor …
Mixing Effects Of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection Located Upstream Of A Flameholding Cavity In Supersonic Flow, Daniel R. Montes
Mixing Effects Of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection Located Upstream Of A Flameholding Cavity In Supersonic Flow, Daniel R. Montes
Theses and Dissertations
The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Propulsion Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is conducting ongoing research into propulsive efficiency in supersonic ramjet (scramjet) technology. One current focus of this research is the usefulness of flameholding cavities implemented in the supersonic hydrocarbon-fueled combustion chamber. Because good mixing and proper cavity-core interaction lead to more efficient combustion, methods of optimizing fuel/air mixing both within and upstream the cavity are investigated. In a cooperative effort with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), AFRL provided a supersonic wind tunnel outfitted with an existing cavity design. A circular injection port was placed upstream …
Characterization Of Upstream Mixing Cavities And A Downstream Combustion Cavity In Supersonic Flow, Adam P. Quick
Characterization Of Upstream Mixing Cavities And A Downstream Combustion Cavity In Supersonic Flow, Adam P. Quick
Theses and Dissertations
A key area of study in air-breathing hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet combustors is the characterization of cavity-based fuel injection and flame holding. One issue concerns oscillatory disturbances caused by trapped vortices in the main flame holder cavity as a fuel-air mixing enhancement technique. Previous research demonstrates that oscillatory disturbances can be carried downstream via the shear layer and alter the oscillatory characteristics of a downstream cavity. This study investigates the mixing effectiveness of three upstream direct-fueled mixing cavities as well as the effect on the oscillatory behavior of the downstream combustion cavity by the upstream mixing cavity. The three upstream mixing cavities …
Numerical Analysis Of Two And Three Dimensional Recessed Flame Holders For Scramjet Applications, Douglas L. Davis
Numerical Analysis Of Two And Three Dimensional Recessed Flame Holders For Scramjet Applications, Douglas L. Davis
Theses and Dissertations
This study investigated the flame holding properties of recessed cavities in supersonic flow using numerical analysis techniques. A simplified analytical model indicated that an important property for flame holding was the lower residence time. Several chemical kinetic rate models for hydrogen and hydrocarbon combustion were compared. The perfectly stirred reactor model also indicated that trace species diffusion should increase flame spreading rate, and that heat loss reduces flame holding limits. After nonreacting calibration, two-dimensional simulations confirmed the perfectly stirred reactor results for blowout limits. Also, the effect of trace species diffusion on flame spreading was shown to be negligible, and …