Preliminary numerical studies have been conducted to assess the possible potential for enhancing fuel/air mixing and combustion in high-speed combustors through the generation and utilization of body-forces in and adjacent to fuel injection. Specifically, the model utilized here assumes localized electrostatic-type force fields and approximate force interactions associated with flush-wall hydrogen fuel injection in supersonic combustors. Results in this work indicate significant increases in mixing and combustion may be possible with relatively localized and weak force-fields and force interactions, resulting in large decreases in required combustor length for achieving adequate levels of mixing. Irreversibility associated with the modification to the flow-field is shown to be (potentially) approximately the same as the base-line case (no flow-field modification). Extrapolation of these results to engine-level performance estimations in terms of potential for generating engine thrust indicates significant possible gains in terms of increased specific impulse and increased specific thrust.
- Fuel Injection,
- Fuel/Air Mixing,
- Combustion
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/david-riggins/16/