Ignition process of a novel swirling-flow single trapped vortex combustor with RP-3 liquid aviation fuel

The ignition process of a novel combustion concept, named swirling-flow single trapped vortex combustor (SSTVC), is proposed in the present study. A high-speed camera was employed to record the ignition processes at the atmospheric pressure, inlet reference velocity of 4.5 - 9.9 m/s (Ma 0.011 - 0.022), and temperature of 423 K - 523 K. The segmentation method of the watershed transform is adopted to explore the flame area, flame height, and ignition delay time from the digital image. The results indicate that the ignition process can be divided into four phases, spark ignition, kernel generation, flame growth, and stable combustion. The three-dimensional flame propagation characteristics in the cavity and primary region are subsequently described. The inlet refer-ence velocity and temperature rise will accelerate the flame propagation process, and the ignition delay times are reduced accordingly. The decreased flame area can be achieved by the increased inlet reference velocity or decreased temperature. Notably, the effect of inlet temperature becomes weaker after it exceeds 473 K.

Automated summary

In this study, the ignition process of a novel combustion concept called swirling-flow single trapped vortex combustor (SSTVC) is proposed. High-speed camera recordings are used to investigate the ignition processes under different conditions. The results show that the ignition process can be divided into four phases, and the flame propagation characteristics are described in detail.