The effect of premixed stratification on the wave dynamics of a rotating detonation combustor

Abstract

Typical injection schemes of rotating detonation combustors inject fuel locally into the combustion channel, creating stratified fuel-rich and fuel-lean mixing regions. In this study, premixed hydrogen and air rotating detonations are explored in a rotating detonation combustor through premixing part of the fuel into the oxidizer flow. The objective is to investigate the effect of premixing on the operation of the combustor. Three premixing schemes are examined where the detonation wave speeds are analyzed. The results show that in premixing, the fuel-lean regions became more favorable for continuous detonation propagation when premixed with the bypass fuel, resulting in higher detonation wave speeds. This phenomenon is shown to be independent of the global fuel-air equivalence ratio and the amount of fuel premixed into the oxidizer. As such, combustor performance and the operational regime could be improved with lean hydrogen premixing amounts in the main flow oxidizer.