Stabilization of Supersonic Combustion of Propane in an Expanding Aerodynamic Channel with the Use of Low-Temperature Plasma

Abstract

Under the conditions of a nonstationary pulsating longitudinal-transverse discharge produced in a supersonic cold (T = 175 K) air flow, the combustion of a propane–air mixture has been stabilized. It has been shown that the completeness of propane combustion after stabilization under the conditions of low-temperature plasma amounts to about 95%. The combustion occurs at a flame temperature of 1800–2000 K. A propulsion thrust of about 55 N has been obtained the course of an experiment with plasma-assisted combustion of propane in an expanding channel with a length of 50 cm and a ratio of the inlet and outlet cross sections of S₂/S₁ = 12.7 at mass flow rates of 105 and 4.9 g/s for air and propane, respectively. This shows good agreement with the value of 60 N calculated under the conditions of complete propane burning.