Numerical Study on the Heat Release Distributions of a Supersonic Combustor with Three-Dimensional “Swallowtail” Cavity

Abstract

Hypersonic air-breathing propulsion has been a focus technology in hypersonic aviation in the past decades [1]. Three-dimensional cavity may act as the flame holder of a Scramjet engine in air-breathing hypersonic propulsion. An interesting three-dimensional cavity is “swallowtail” cavity which has a special inner shape like a swallowtail. With three-dimensional cavity in supersonic chamber, threedimensional vortexes may be organized optimally, and the exchange of mass, momentum and energy between cavity flow and supersonic flow may be enhanced to provide better performance of mixing and combustion[2]. Also, three-dimensional cavity may avoid the sharp heat release in local region of chamber and suppress the subsonic combustion oscillation induced by the cavity in a supersonic combustor. It is necessary to study the heat release distribution of a supersonic combustor with three-dimensional cavity.