Influence of Gaseous Hydrogen Addition on Initiation of Rotating Detonation in Liquid Fuel–Air Mixtures

Abstract

Hydrogen is the most common molecule in the universe. It is an excellent fuel for thermal engines: piston, turbojet, rocket, and, going forward, in thermonuclear power plants. Hydrogen is currently used across a range of industrial applications including propulsion systems, e.g., cars and rockets. One obstacle to expanding hydrogen use, especially in the transportation sector, is its low density. This paper explores hydrogen as an addition to liquid fuel in the detonation chamber to generate thermal energy for potential use in transportation and generation of electrical energy. Experiments with liquid kerosene, hexane, and ethanol with the addition of gaseous hydrogen were conducted in a modern rotating detonation chamber. Detonation combustion delivers greater thermal efficiency and reduced NOx emission. Since detonation propagates about three orders of magnitude faster than deflagration, the injection, evaporation, and mixing with air must be almost instantaneous. Hydrogen addition helps initiate the detonation process and sustain continuous work of the chamber. The presented work proves that the addition of gaseous hydrogen to a liquid fuel–air mixture is well suited to the rotating detonation process, making combustion more effective and environmentally friendly.

Experimental Study on the Propagation Characteristics of Rotating Detonation Wave with Liquid Hydrocarbon/High-Enthalpy Air Mixture

“…Recently, there has been increasing interest in heterogeneous rotating detonation. Researchers have implemented various measures to achieve heterogeneous rotating detonation, including the use of oxygen-enriched air [27,28], heated air [29][30][31], and a mixture of kerosene/highly active fuels [32][33][34]. In addition, Le Naour et al [35] utilized a fuel mixture of hydrogen and kerosene.…”

Experimental Study on Propagation Characteristics of Kerosene/Air RDE with Different Diameters

“…They also obtained rotating detonation in a kerosene-air mixture with kerosene being bubbled with hydrogen or syngas, and found that the performance of the detonation engine changes significantly with the change in hydrogen concentration. Kindracki et al [18,19] conducted research on the performance of a rotating detonation engine mixed with hydrogen and isopropyl nitrate in liquid kerosene and found that the addition of isopropyl nitrate enhanced the detonation sensitivity of kerosene, and a velocity deficit of 20-25% was determined for the mixture. Li et al [20] carried out kerosene/hot air (100 • C) experiments with non-premixed and premixed strategies.…”

Numerical Investigation of the Ignition Delay Time of Kerosene Premixed Combustion in an SI Engine

“…Hydrogen can be added to the combustion process of kerosene to improve the laminar flame speed [4]. Kindracki et al [5] controlled the combustion process via regulating the hydrogen blending ratio. In addition, hydrogen is also helpful for the evaporation of kerosene and the following heat-release process [6].…”