Characteristics of rotating detonation wave fueled by liquid kerosene with increasing equivalence ratios

Abstract

To investigate the characteristics of rotating detonation waves fueled by liquid kerosene with increasing equivalence ratios, the experiments were performed through increasing the supply of liquid kerosene under three different mass flow rates of oxidizer. Various mode transitions were realized, including transition from unstable detonation to stable single-wave mode, transition from unstable detonation to stable double-wave mode and transition from double-wave mode to single-wave & double-wave hybrid mode. The results demonstrate that the increase of equivalence ratios leads to the improvement of mixture reactivity under lean-fuel limit, which enhances the propagation stability and pressure peak of rotating detonation waves, and then results in the transition from unstable detonation to a stable propagation mode. In addition, when the mass flow rate of oxidizer is approximately 1100 g/s, the transition from double-wave mode to single-wave & double-wave hybrid mode is observed by increasing the equivalence ratio from 0.6 to 0.93. It is concluded that the mutation of dynamic balance between the RDW and injection plenum caused by the increasing of equivalence ratio is one of the reasons inducing the mode transition. This work illustrates the feasibility of modulating the propagation mode in rotating detonation waves fueled by liquid kerosene, and promotes the application of rotating detonation engine.