Experimental study on the improvement of spray characteristics of aero-engines using gliding arc plasma

A gliding arc plasma fuel atomization actuator suitable for aeroengines was designed,and a gliding arc plasma fuel spray experimental platform was built to address the fuel atomization problem in aeroengine combustion chambers.The spray characteristics for different airflows,fuel flows,and discharge voltages were analyzed using laser particle size analysis.The research shows that the fuel atomization effect is improved from the increased airflow.The decreased fuel flow not only reduces the injection pressure of the fuel but also changes the discharge mode of the gliding arc,which affects reductions in the discharge power and inhibits fuel atomization.Gliding arc discharges accelerate the breaking,atomization,and evaporation of fuel droplets while reducing the particle size,which increases the proportion of small droplets.Compared with the working conditions of plasma-assisted atomization without the gliding arc,the D0.5,D0.9,and average particle size of the fuel droplets are reduced by 4.7%,6.5%,and 4.1%,respectively,when the modulation voltage of the gliding arc power supply is 200 V.

Characteristics of a pre-combustion plasma jet igniter

Plasma ignition technology has delivered good performance in the aerospace industry. In this study, a pre-combustion plasma jet igniter was designed, and its characteristics were examined from three aspects: the morphology, temperature, and discharge characteristics and process of ignition. Images of the OH distribution were obtained by using an OH Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence(OH-PLIF) experimental system. Results have shown that the proposed plasma jet had a higher OH concentration, longer length, and larger area than those of a traditional igniter. The stability of discharge of the igniter was improved as the equivalence ratio φ was increased, and reducing gas flow reduced the pulsation of the plasma jet. When the input current was increased from 15A to 35 A, the highest average temperature increased from 5127 K to 7987 K. An increase in the equivalence ratio reduced the region of arc ionization, but expanded the regions of the core combustion reaction and the outer flame. Herein, this study has obtained a deep understanding of the jet and ignition law and developed a new idea for the application of plasma in the ignition field.A pre-combustion plasma jet igniter can significantly improve the efficiency of ignition and shorten the ignition process compared with a traditional igniter.