A Numerical Study of Mixing in Supersonic Combustors with Hypermixing Injectors


Book Description

A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the performance of wall mounted fuel-injectors designed for potential Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (SCRAM-jet) engine applications. The focus of this investigation was to numerically simulate existing combustor designs for the purpose of validating the numerical technique and the physical models developed. Three different injector designs of varying complexity were studied to fully understand the computational implications involved in accurate predictions. A dual transverse injection system and two streamwise injector designs were studied. The streamwise injectors were designed with swept ramps to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion characteristics at supersonic speeds without the large flow blockage and drag contribution of the transverse injection system. For this study, the Mass-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the chemical species continuity equations were solved. The computations were performed using a finite-volume implicit numerical technique and multiple block structured grid system. The interfaces of the multiple block structured grid systems were numerically resolved using the flux-conservative technique. Detailed comparisons between the computations and existing experimental data are presented. These comparisons show that numerical predictions are in agreement with the experimental data. These comparisons also show that a number of turbulence model improvements are needed for accurate combustor flowfield predictions. Lee, J. Unspecified Center RTOP 505-62-40...










Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports


Book Description

Lists citations with abstracts for aerospace related reports obtained from world wide sources and announces documents that have recently been entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database.










Towards a Numerical Simulation of Supersonic Mixing & Combustion


Book Description

The design and off-design studies of the hypersonic air-breathing engines face many challenges, due to the complexity of their internal flows. The mixing and combustion processes in Supersonic-Combustion Ramjet (scramjet) engines involve complicated aerothermochemical features, such as: the interactions between shock-waves and boundary-layer, the shock induced-combustion and the recirculation zones. In this study, a numerical solver is developed and validated to be an efficient design tool capable of simulating these complicated flow features of the supersonic combustors. For the code validation, several test cases are considered to monitor the code ability to solve for the diffusive and turbulent fluxes, and the chemical source term. In addition, the code is validated by resolving the transverse sonic injection into supersonic air flow in the case of Helium injection from a flat plate, and in the case of Hydrogen injection in a single-strut scramjet engine. The effectiveness of this injection technique in mixing and flame-holding is demonstrated. The results show good agreement with the previous numerical and experimental investigations, and prove the simulator's accuracy.