Experimental Investigation of Supersonic Model Combustor with Distributed Injection of Supercritical Kerosene

Abstract

Supersonic combustion with distributed injection of supercritical kerosene in a model scramjet engine was experimentally investigated in a Mach 2.92 facility with stagnation temperatures of approximately 1430 K. Multicavities were used to stabilize and enhance the combustion in the supersonic combustor. Supercritical kerosene at temperatures of approximately 780 K was prepared using a heat exchanger driven by the hot gas from a preburner and injected into the combustor at equivalence ratios of 1.0. Static pressure distribution in the axial direction was measured along the centerline of the model combustor top walls. A high-speed imaging camera was used to capture flame luminosity and combustion region distribution. In the experiments, combustor performances with different injection locations, injection stages, cavity locations, and numbers of cavities were investigated systematically. The experimental results showed that the injection penetration and local combustion had a strong coupling with the upstream flow. The combustion region and heat release distribution changes obviously due to the various cavity-injection schemes, and the combustion performance could be improved when the injection location and distribution of supercritical kerosene mass flow rate were optimized.