Measuring the phase between fluctuating pressure and flame radiation intensity in a cylindrical combustion chamber

Abstract

The energy transfer from the heat release of the combustion to the acoustic pressure oscillations is the driving element of combustion instabilities. This energy transfer is described by the Rayleigh criterion and depends on the phase shift between the pressure and heat release rate oscillations. A research rocket engine combustor, operated with the propellant combination hydrogen/oxygen, was equipped with dynamic pressure sensors and fibre optical probes to measure the flame radiation. This setup has been used for a phase shift analysis study which showed that unstable operation is characterized by a phase shift leading to an energy transfer from the heat release to the acoustic pressure oscillations.