Continuous detonation combustion of ternary “hydrogen–liquid propane–air” mixture in annular combustor

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Experiments are performed on continuous detonation combustion of ternary hydrogen–liquid propane–air mixture in a large-scale annular combustor 406 mm in outer diameter with an annular gap of 25 mm. Liquid propane is fed into the combustor at the time when sustained continuous-detonation combustion of hydrogen–air mixture is attained therein. Mass flow rates of hydrogen, propane and air in the experiments ranged from 0.1 to 0.5 kg/s (hydrogen), 0.1 to 0.5 kg/s (propane), and 5 to 12 kg/s (air). Continuous-detonation combustion of liquid propane in air is obtained for the first time due to addition of hydrogen rather than due to enrichment of air with oxygen. Combustor operation with a single continuously rotating detonation wave (DW) for about 0.1 s has been obtained when the flow rates of propane and air remained constant while the flow rate of hydrogen was rapidly decreasing.