A non-premixed rotating detonation engine using ethylene and air. (5th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yuhui; Le, Jialing; Wang, Chao; Zheng, Yushan
• Is Part Of: Applied thermal engineering. Volume 137(2018)
• Page Start: 749
• Page End: 757
• Publication Date: 2018-06-05
• Subjects: Rotating detonation engine -- Ethylene -- Experiment -- Hollow combustor -- High speed detonation; Heat engineering -- Periodicals; Heating -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 621.40205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.04.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-4311

Abstract

Highlights: Ethylene-air rotating detonations of high speeds were obtained. Wasteful RDWs were discovered. Flow in the predetonator disturbs rotating detonation. A part of the wasteful RDW is outside the combustor. Two kinds of unsustainable rotating detonation waves were discovered. Abstract: Only a few studies on ethylene-air rotating detonation engines were conducted due to the great difficulty of quick ethylene-air mixing. Hydrogen or oxygen was added into ethylene-air mixtures, or premixed ethylene-air mixtures were used in some previous studies, to obtain rotating detonation waves. Non-premixed rotating detonation waves of high speeds for ethylene and air sources at room temperatures were obtained in the present study, proving ethylene is feasible for air-breathing rotating detonation engines. The hollow combustor channel here had an outer diameter of 100 mm. Fuel and air were injected into the combustor from 150 cylindrical orifices of a diameter 0.8 mm and a circular gap with a throat width of 1 mm, respectively. The detonation speeds were 1256–1653 m/s for the air flow rates 465–689 g/s and equivalence ratios 0.47–1.06. Most of the speeds were above 80% of Chapman-Jouguet values. Both high-speed images and dynamic pressure sensors showed there was one rotating detonation wave in all the operating conditions.