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Equivalence ratio variation and combustion instability in hybrid rocket

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Abstract

In this paper, a series of combustion tests using PMMA/O2 was conducted to examine the initiating characteristics of low frequency instability (LFI) in relation to the changes in both flow and combustion conditions. By selecting parameters such as the oxidizer mass flow rate, fuel grain length, and mixing ratio of mixture oxidizer composed of oxygen and nitrogen; combustion tests were conducted to vary the equivalence ratio in the combustion. This study further validated instability characteristics in connection with coupling behavior between the high frequency pressure and heat release oscillations in 500 Hz band. Based on the results, a combustion stability map was plotted and it shows that the initiation of LFI is contingent upon the satisfaction of specific conditions of flow and combustion. The results also confirmed that the initiation of LFI is highly linked to an establishment of a positive coupling between high frequency pressure and heat release oscillations. In addition, equivalence ratio was found to be a critical factor in the transition of coupling status between the two high frequency oscillations. For a given flow condition, the sole increase in equivalence ratio above a certain threshold resulted in the phase shift between the two oscillations leading to a positive coupling or vice versa.

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Abbreviations

LFI :

Low frequency instability

FFT :

Fast Fourier transform

p′:

Pressure oscillations

q′:

Heat release oscillations

RI :

Rayleigh index (∫cyclep′ q′ dt > 0)

PMMA :

Polymethyl methacrylate

HTPB :

Hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene

GOX :

Gaseous oxygen

O/F :

Oxidizer to fuel ratio

Φ:

Equivalence ratio ((O/Fstoi)/(O/Factual))

G ox :

Oxidizer flux

max :

Maximum

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF-2018M1A3A3A02065968) of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Korea

    Dong Eun Lee & Changjin Lee

Authors
  1. Dong Eun Lee
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  2. Changjin Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changjin Lee.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Jeong Park

Changjin Lee received Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1992. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Konkuk University, Korea. His research interests include rocket and jet propulsions.

Dongeun Lee received M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Konkuk University in 2017. He is currently an Assistant Researcher in the Department of Aero-space Engineering at Konkuk University, Korea. His research interests include rocket combustion and propulsion.

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Lee, D.E., Lee, C. Equivalence ratio variation and combustion instability in hybrid rocket. J Mech Sci Technol 33, 5033–5042 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-0942-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-0942-5

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