Influence of combustion-preheating vitiation on operability of a hypersonic inlet

Abstract

Vitiation of the test flow with combustion products is inherent in combustion wind tunnels, and its effect on experimental results needs to be clarified. In this study, the influence of air vitiation on the startability and performance of a hypersonic inlet is investigated through two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulation. The study examines the vitiation effects introduced by carbon dioxide and water vapor, on the basis of maintaining the static pressure, static temperature and Mach number of the incoming flow. The starting Mach number limits of the inlet are estimated, and it is found that both of these vitiation components lower the starting limit of the inlet. This suggests that the experimental results acquired by tests in combustion wind tunnels overestimate the startability of an inlet and, therefore, combustion-preheated facilities may not be completely trusted in this respect. Deviations in the inlet performance caused by the vitiation are also detected. These are nevertheless minor as long as the flow is at the same started or unstarted condition. A further analysis reveals that it is mainly the increase in the heat capacity, and the resulting weaker shock/compression waves and shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions that account for the aforementioned effects.