Mixing Characteristics of Cracked Gaseous Hydrocarbon Fuels in Scramjets

摘要

High-performance hydrocarbon-fuelled scramjet engines require efficient fuel-air mixing due to the relatively short flow residence time through the combustor. At high temperatures, hydrocarbon fuels react endothermically and absorb thermal energy from the surroundings. The process known as cracking becomes essential at high Mach numbers to increase the total heat-sink capacity of the fuel. This study presents the results of numerical simulations that investigate the mixing characteristics of cracked gaseous heavy hydrocarbon fuels injected through a circular, flush-wall porthole injector inclined at 45-deg to the freest ream. The mixing characteristics of six fuel compositions representing various cracking efficiencies ranging from 0-100% are investigated. The mixing rates and flow structures are found to change with fuel compositions. As the cracking increases, the mixing and streamwise circulation increase for an injectant. However, the jet penetration and stagnation pressure losses decrease. The density gradients determine the strength of vorticity in the vicinity of the injector. The streamwise circulation is found to have a strong influence on the mixing and the strength of bow shock on the jet penetration. Overall, it is shown that there are mixing benefits to be gained by injecting cracked hydrocarbon fuels compared to heavy uncracked fuels in scramjets.