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Flow structures and combustion regimes in an axisymmetric scramjet combustor with high Reynolds number

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2024

Tao Tang ,
Mingbo Sun Open the ORCID record for Mingbo Sun [Opens in a new window] ,
Bo Yan ,
Zhenguo Wang ,
Jiangfei Yu ,
Yuhui Huang ,
Hongbo Wang  and
Jiajian Zhu
Tao Tang
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Mingbo Sun*
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Bo Yan
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Zhenguo Wang
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Jiangfei Yu
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Yuhui Huang
Affiliation:
Equipment Project Management Center, Equipment Development Department, Beijing 100089, PR China
Hongbo Wang
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
Jiajian Zhu*
Affiliation:
Hypersonic Technology Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, PR China
*
†Email addresses for correspondence: sunmingbo@nudt.edu.cn, jjzhu@nudt.edu.cn
†Email addresses for correspondence: sunmingbo@nudt.edu.cn, jjzhu@nudt.edu.cn
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Abstract

This study investigates the flow structures and combustion regimes in an axisymmetric cavity-based scramjet combustor with a total temperature of 1800 K and a high Reynolds number of approximately 1 × 107. The hydroxyl planar laser-induced fluorescence technique, along with the broadband flame emission and CH* chemiluminescence, is employed to visualize the instantaneous flame structure in the optically accessible cavity. The jet-wake flame stabilization mode is observed, with intense heat release occurring in the jet wake upstream of the cavity. A hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large-eddy simulation approach is performed for the 0.18-equivalent-ratio case with a pressure-corrected flamelet/progress variable model. The combustion regime is identified mainly in the corrugated or wrinkled flamelet regime (approximately 102 < Da < 104, 103 < Ret < 105 where $Da$ is the Damköhler number and $Re_t$ is the turbulent Reynolds number). The combustion process is jointly dominated by supersonic combustion (which accounts for approximately 58 %) and subsonic combustion, although subsonic combustion has a higher heat release rate (peak value exceeding 1 × 109 J (m3s)−1). A partially premixed flame is observed, where the diffusion flame packages a considerable quantity of twisted premixed flame. The shockwave plays a critical role in generating vorticity by strengthening the volumetric expansion and baroclinic torque term, and it can facilitate the chemical reaction rates through the pressure and temperature surges, thereby enhancing the combustion. Combustion also shows a remarkable effect on the overall flow structures, and it drives alterations in the vorticity of the flow field. In turn, the turbulent flow facilitates the combustion and improves the flame stabilization by enhancing the reactant mixing and increasing the flame surface area.

JFM classification

Compressible Flows: Hypersonic Flow

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JFM Papers
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Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1000 , 10 December 2024 , A3
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© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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The calculated instantaneous temperature distribution with flow structures depicted in the background
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