Effect of combustion chamber diameter size on scramjet rotating detonation under high Mach number flow conditions

Abstract

This study conducted 3D numerical simulations to investigate the impact of combustion chamber diameter on the combustion characteristics of liquid kerosene scramjet rotating detonation under high Mach number flow conditions (Ma6/28 km). After ignition, a local hotspot near the contact surface between the combustion product and fresh reactant facilitates the generation of new detonation wave heads, resulting in a co-directional multi-wave mode in the detonation combustion flow field. The higher total temperature of the incoming flow restricts the accumulation of a substantial fuel gas layer in the axial direction of the combustion chamber, resulting in a smaller fuel distribution area and a lower wave head. Increasing the inner diameter of the combustion chamber leads to an increase in the number of wave heads but a decrease in overall height. Specifically, when using diameters of 125 and 150 mm, we observed significant periodic low-frequency oscillations in the peak pressure of the detonation wave during stable propagation. The specific impulse of the fuel does not vary significantly across different combustion chamber diameters. However, when the inner diameter is 75 mm, periodic oscillations occur, which reduce thrust stability. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing combustion chamber design and improving the efficiency and stability of liquid kerosene scramjet rotating detonation propulsion systems under high Mach number flow conditions.