Modelling Rotating Detonative Combustion Fueled by Partially Pre-vaporized n-Heptane Sprays

TL;DR

This study uses Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations to analyze how droplet size and fuel vapor ratios influence detonation behavior and droplet dynamics in rotating combustors fueled by partially vaporized n-heptane sprays.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of droplet size and vaporization on detonation speed, fuel consumption, and combustion modes in RDC, highlighting the importance of droplet dynamics.

Findings

Smaller droplets vaporize completely around the detonation wave.

Detonation speed decreases with increasing droplet size.

Propagation speed increases with higher equivalence ratios.

Abstract

Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations are conducted for two-dimensional Rotating Detonative Combustion (RDC) fueled by partially prevaporized n-heptane sprays. The influences of droplet diameter and total equivalence ratio on detonation combustion and droplet dynamics are studied. It is found that small n-heptane droplets (e.g. 5 um) are completely vaporized around the detonation wave, while intermediate n-heptane droplets (e.g. 20 um) are consumed in or behind the detonation wave, with the escaped ones be continuously evaporated and deflagrated. The droplet distributions in the RDE combustor are significantly affected by the droplet evaporation behaviors. Mixed premixed and non-premixed combustion modes are seen in two-phase RDC. The detonated fuel fraction is high when the droplet diameters are small or large, reaching its minimal value with diameter being 20 um. The detonation propagation speed decreases with increased droplet diameter and is almost constant when the diameter is larger (> 30 um). The velocity deficits are 2-18% compared to the respective gaseous cases. Moreover, the propagation speed increases as the total equivalence ratio increases for the same droplet diameter. It is also found that the detonation propagation speed and detonated fuel fraction are considerably affected by the pre-vaporized gas equivalence ratio. The specific impulse first decreases for cases with initial diameter less than 5 {\mu}m, then increases with droplet diameter between 5 {\mu}m and 20 {\mu}m, and finally decreases with droplet diameter larger than 20 {\mu}m.