Development and Investigation of an Optically Accessible Solid Fuel Ramjet Combustor
Will C. Senior, Jay V. Evans, Rohan Gejji, Carson D. Slabaugh
Abstract
View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-1019.vid Solid fuel ramjets (SRFJs) are a topic of renewed interest in the propulsion community due to their high specific impulse, relative design simplicity, and high degree of combustion stability. Despite the simple system design, comprised of only an air intake system, a combustion chamber, and a nozzle, the multi-phase combustion process is extremely complex. A rectangular optically accessible model combustor has been designed such that a variety of diagnostic techniques can be implemented in order to gain insight into the large-scale processes that drive the highly turbulent, non-premixed combustion seen in SFRJs. OH* Chemiluminescence images were collected to locate the regions of high heat-release and general structure of the flame in this model burner. The experiments were performed at elevated pressure up to 70 psia with non-vitiated air at inlet temperatures up to 650 F and burning hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB).