Numerical Simulation and Design of a Combustion Wave Rotor for Deflagrative and Detonative Propagation

Pressure-gain combustion in gas turbine engines can be accomplished using wave rotor technology, allowing significantly smaller entropy production than conventional combustion and a more efficient engine. Among various possible combustion modes, backward propagation of a detonation or deflagration allows shorter residence time at high temperature, benefiting structure and emissions, and relatively uniform outflow to the turbine. Based on a validated quasi-one dimensional computational code, a series of numerical simulations are conducted to assess the combustion and gas-dynamic processes of a combustion wave rotor operating with near constant-volume combustion. As a result of the modeling, an innovative and flexible preliminary design of a proposed test rig is achieved. The proposed design is then investigated under different operating conditions (fuel distribution, port timing, rotational speed, exhaust back pressure) and satisfactory results are predicted. Appropriate locations of fuel injectors and the ignition initiator are proposed to allow for backward propagation of the combustion front from the exit end of the combustion channel toward the inlet end.