CFD Analysis of Single Cavity with Varying Front Ramp Angles and L/D Ratio of a Hypersonic Scramjet Combustion Engine

  Nithin N

From the development of X-43, a hypersonic combustion engine recorded a speed of 10500km/hr, Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (SCRAMJET) engine has been recognized as the most promising air breathing propulsion system for the hypersonic flight condition. Mixing, ignition and flame holding in combustor are the critical challenges in the development of scramjet engine. Among all common methods used as the flame holding mechanism of hypersonic vehicle, the research of cavity flame holder has drawn an increasing scrutiny of many researchers, in which the re-circulation region formed inside the cavity for better flame-stabilization and fuel-air mixing process that proves to be the better performance method. In the present paper, the analyses are carried out with varying L/D ratio 5 & 10 and front ramp angle under single cavity configuration in order to determine better configuration in generating re-circulation region and flame holding capabilities. The models have been designed in ANSYS Design Modeler. Numerical simulations were done in ANSYS FLUENT using two-dimensional density based energy equation with k-epsilon turbulence model under standard non-equilibrium wall condition. Finally, the contours of static pressure, static temperature, turbulence kinetic energy, total pressure, x-velocity and mach number are taken and hence graphs have been plotted for better perception. . Among all the four models, it has been proved that single cavity with 15° front ramp angle L/D ratio 5 shows better performance in flame stabilization and vortex formation.

Keywords- Scramjet, supersonic combustion, flame-stabilization, cavity.

Unique Identification Number - IJEDR1502010
Page Number(s) - 45-51
Pubished in - Volume 3 | Issue 2 | May 2015
DOI (Digital Object Identifier) -   
Publisher - IJEDR (ISSN - 2321-9939)

  Nithin N,   "CFD Analysis of Single Cavity with Varying Front Ramp Angles and L/D Ratio of a Hypersonic Scramjet Combustion Engine", International Journal of Engineering Development and Research (IJEDR), ISSN:2321-9939, Volume.3, Issue 2, pp.45-51, May 2015, Available at :http://www.ijedr.org/papers/IJEDR1502010.pdf