Estimation of Mode Transition in a Supersonic Combustor

Abstract

A quasi-one dimensional calculation was carried out to figure out supersonic combustor performances. Three flow tubes were considered in the combustor region. Those were an air-flow-tube, a combustion-flow-tube and a fuel-flow-tube. A Mach=1 condition was assumed in the combustion-flow-tube. The estimation of a mode-transition was considered as a result of thermal choking. Both clean and vitiated inflows were tested with the calculation model. Experimental combustion tests were also carried out to compare and confirm the validity of calculated results. Mode-transition equivalence ratios and combustor wall pressure distributions were focused to compare between calculated and experimental results. The calculation model estimated the mode-transition equivalence ratio and the thrust performance with the relative errors at about 11% and 6% compared to the experimental results, respectively.

Keywords

• supersonic combustor
• flame holding model
• mode transition
• thermal choking
• one-dimensional calculation