Title: Evaluation of a ramp cavity based concept supersonic combustor using CFD

Authors: A. Rajasekaran, V. Babu

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 600 036, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 600 036, India

Abstract: In this paper, numerical simulations of a full scale concept supersonic combustor using kerosene fuel are presented. Results are reported first for a baseline model. These results are then used for identifying the shortcomings in this model, which allows improvements to be made. In particular, the spacing between the ramps is widened so that the heat addition is not confined to a short region and is distributed over a larger volume. Also the design of fuel supply lines has been reworked so that they do not obstruct the supersonic flow. Details of the flow field inside the combustor such as contours of static pressure, static temperature, species mass fraction, reaction rate and Mach number are discussed. Wall static pressure distribution along the top wall of the combustor is presented. Intricate details of the flow field such as separation zones, shocks and expansion fans and their interaction are also brought out. Finally, thrust developed by the combustor is calculated using two different methods.

Keywords: supersonic combustion; kerosene fuel; scramjet engines; numerical simulation; ramp cavity; CFD; computational fluid dynamics; supersonic flow; thrust; static pressure; static temperature; species mass fraction; reaction rate; Mach number; separation zones; shocks; expansion fans; hypersonic flight.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2009.022305

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2009 Vol.9 No.1, pp.16 - 29

Published online: 29 Dec 2008 *

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