Experimental Study on the Ignition Characteristics of Scramjet Combustor with Tandem Cavities Using Micro-Pulse Detonation Engine

Abstract

This experimental investigation focused on the ignition and combustion characteristics of a tandem cavity-based scramjet combustor with side-by-side identical cavities. This study utilized the Pusan National University-direct connect scramjet combustor (PNU-DCSC), which was capable of simulating flight conditions at Mach number 4.0–5.0 and altitudes of 20–25 km using the vitiated air heater (VAH). The combustion tests were conducted under off-design point conditions corresponding to low inlet enthalpy. It is a condition in which self-ignition does not occur, and a micro pulse detonation engine (μPDE) ignitor is used. The results revealed that as the injection pressure of the gaseous hydrogen fuel (GH2) and the corresponding equivalence ratio increased, the combustion mode transitioned from the cavity-shear layer flame to the jet-wake flame. Furthermore, the measured wall static pressure profiles along the isolator and scramjet combustor indicated that the region of elevated pressure distribution caused by the shock train expanded upstream with higher equivalence ratios. When ignited from the secondary cavity, the combustion area did not extend to the primary cavity at lower equivalence ratios, while it expanded upstream faster with higher equivalence ratios. Therefore, the combustion characteristics of the tandem cavity were found to vary based on the overall equivalence ratio of the main fuel (GH2) and ignition position.