Electrical ignition of ADN-based green liquid propellant in constant volume combustion chamber and continuous flow

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Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) propellant for green space propulsion is perceived as a focal point in space propulsion research. The development of electrical ignition methods to realize the ignition for ADN-based liquid propellant can overcome the technical bottleneck of the catalytic ignition methods currently applied to ADN-based space thrusters. This work presents an experimental investigation of the electrical ignition and combustion characteristics of an ADN-based liquid propellant in a constant volume combustion chamber, considering ignition voltages and initial pressures. It is observed that increasing the ignition voltage and initial pressure reduces the flame retardation period, combustion duration, droplet lifetime, ignition energy, and total energy. Also, the combustion peak pressure decreases with an increase in the ignition voltage but increases with higher initial pressures. The energy consumption is mainly concentrated in the ignition stage, with the ignition energy accounting for approximately 76% to 96% of the total energy. The measurement of the concentrations of the keycombustion products are reported, highlighting that the mole fraction of CO decreases with an increase in ignition voltage and pressure. The ignition and combustion of the ADN-based liquid propellant in continuous flow were achieved for the first time through a combination of resistive ignition and high-temperature arc-assisted combustion. During the testing of the propellant ignition in continuous flow, there is a need for a continuous supply of electrical energy, and the combustion cannot be self-sustaining.