Investigation of rotating detonation fueled by pre-combustion cracked kerosene under different channel widths

Abstract

In this study, the effects of channel widths on the characteristics of the rotating detonation wave (RDW) were investigated. Pre-combustion cracked kerosene and 50% oxygen-enriched air were taken as the propellant. Keeping the outer diameter ( D = 150mm) constant, the channel widths ( W) of the combustor range from 15 mm to 50 mm in the experiments. The results indicate that the time for the formation of a stable RDW is longer under the wider channel, while the velocity of the RDW increases significantly with a wider channel. Increasing the ER has a positive effect on the wave velocity and the flow rate has little effect on wave velocity. The wave pressure increases under the higher ER and flow rate. Under the same flow rate and ER, the RDW pressure tends to reach the maximum value when the channel width is 25 mm, and the pressure range is 2 bar to 6 bar. Five kinds of the RDW modes were observed in the experiments, namely the failure “pop-out”, single-wave mode, two-counter rotating waves mode, and two-co rotating waves mode. The two-counter rotating waves mode seems to be an intermediate mode of single-wave mode and two-co rotating waves mode in the conducted experiments, and the multi-wave mode is more likely to occur under the narrower channel and the higher oxygen content.

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

“…The effect of oxygen mass fraction (less than 40.5% to more than 43.6%) on wave propagation modes was investigated. Zhong [24,25] and Yang [26] used kerosene pre-combustion cracked gas and oxygen-enriched air (oxygen ratio of 50% and 30%) to achieve rotating detonation, and investigated the basic characteristics of the rotating detonation wave. Han et al [27] also conducted experiments on rotating detonation with kerosene-fuel-rich gas and oxygenenriched air and found that the minimum oxygen content that could successfully initiate and maintain the stable propagation of the detonation wave is 32%.…”

Experimental study on the rotating detonation engine based on a gas mixture

“…Li et al (Bao-xing et al, 2021) found that the reducing combustor width leads to decreases in thrust stability. Wang et al (2020) chose pyrolytic gases of kerosene as fuel and conducted experiments in oxygen-rich air to study the influence of the equivalent ratio and nozzle configuration changes on detonation combustion. The convergence nozzle helps in increasing the propagation velocity of the detonation wave.…”