Study on the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch

Direct current plasma torches have been applied to generate unique sources of thermal energy in many industrial applications. Nevertheless, the successful ignition of a plasma torch is the key process to generate the unique source （plasma jet）. However, there has been tittle study on the underlying mechanism of this key process. A thorough understanding of the ignition process of a plasma torch will be helpful for optimizing the design of the plasma torch structure and selection of the ignition parameters to prolong the service life of the ignition module. Thus, in this paper, the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch （SPT） is theoretically and experimentally modeled and analyzed. Corresponding electrical models of different stages of the ignition process axe set up and used to derive the electrical parameters, e.g. the variations of the arc voltage and arc current between the cathode and anode. In addition, the experiments with different ignition parameters on a home-made SPT have been conducted. At the same time, the variations of the arc voltage and arc current have been measured, and used to verify the ones derived in theory and to determine the optimal ignition parameters for a particular SPT.

Physical Characteristics of Welding Arc Ignition Process

The existing research of welding arc mainly focuses on the stable combustion state and the research on the mechanism of welding arc ignition process is quite lack.The tungsten inert gas（TIG） touch arc ignition process is observed via a high speed camera and the high time resolution spectral diagnosis system.The changing phenomenon of main ionized element provided the electrons in the arc ignition is found.The metallic element is the main contributor to provide the electrons at the beginning of the discharging,and then the excitated shielding gas element replaces the function of the metallic element.The electron density during the period of the arc ignition is calculated by the Stark-broadened lines of Hα.Through the discussion with the repeatability in relaxation phenomenon,the statistical regularity in the arc ignition process is analyzed.The similar rules as above are observed through the comparison with the laser-assisted arc ignition experiments and the metal inert gas（MIG） arc ignition experiments.This research is helpful to further understanding on the generation mechanism of welding arc ignition and also has a certain academic and practical significance on enriching the welding physical theoretical foundation and improving the precise monitoring on automatic arc welding process.

Effects of Promoters on the Ignition Process over NiO/Al_2O_3 Catalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methane to Hydrogen

The catalysts Ni/Al2O3, Ni/ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 and Ni/CuO-ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 were prepared by the co-precipitation method at a pH of 9 using Na2CO3 as the precipitant. The Ni loading(mass fraction) of the catalysts was 10%. The ignition process on the catalysts for the autothermal reforming of methane to hydrogen was investigated and the surface properties of the catalysts were characterized by XPS. The results showed that the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst could not ignite the process of autothermal reforming of methane to hydrogen. However, the Ni/CuO-ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst could ignite the process of autothermal reforming of methane to hydrogen at lower reaction temperature(650 ℃) with the conversion of methane reaching 76%. The result of XPS analysis indicated that the promoters could change the binding energy(BE) of Ni2p3/2 obviously. The species of Cu in the Ni/CuO-ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst comprised Cu2 O and Cu2+. The formation of ZrO2-CeO2 solid solution and a large amount of Cu2 O might be the reason leading to good oxygen storage capacity and mobility of lattice oxygen of the Ni/CuO-ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst, which could ignite the process of autothermal reforming of methane to hydrogen at lower reaction temperature.

Study on the influence of the discharge voltage on the ignition process of Hall thrusters

A high-speed charge-coupled device camera was used to capture images of the plume and acceleration channel of a Hall effect thruster during ignition at different discharge voltages.To better understand the influence of changes in the discharge voltage on the plasma parameters during thruster ignition,a particle-in-cell numerical model was used to calculate the distribution characteristics of the ion density and electric potential at different ignition moments under different discharge voltages.The results show that when the discharge voltage is high,the ion densities in the plume and acceleration channel are significantly higher at the initial phase of thruster ignition;with the gradual strengthening of the ignition process,the propellant avalanche ionization during thruster ignition occurs earlier and the pulse current peak increases.The main reason for these phenomena is that the change in the discharge voltage results in different energy acquisitions of the emitted electrons entering the thruster channel.

Numerical study on ignition start-up process of an underwater solid rocket motor across a wide depth range

Solid rocket motors have important applications in the propulsion of trans-media vehicles and underwater launched rockets.In this paper,the ignition start-up process of an underwater solid rocket motor across a wide depth range has been numerically studied.A novel multi-domain integrated model has been developed by combining the solid propellant ignition and combustion model with the volume of fluid multiphase model.This integrated model enables the coupled simulation of the propellant combustion and gas flow inside the motor,along with the gas jet evolution in the external water environment.The detailed flow field developments in the combustion chamber,nozzle,and wake field are carefully analyzed.The variation rules of the internal ballistics and thrust performance are also obtained.The effects of environmental medium and operating depth on the ignition start-up process are systematically discussed.The results show that the influence of the operating environment on the internal ballistic characteristics is primarily reflected in the initial period after the nozzle closure opens.The development of the gas jet in water lags significantly compared with that in air.As the water depth increases,the ignition delay time of the motor is shortened,and the morphology evolution of the gas jet is significantly compressed and accelerated.Furthermore,the necking and bulging of the jet boundary near the nozzle outlet and the consequent shock oscillations are intensified,resulting in stronger fluctuations in the wake pressure field and motor thrust.

MCGA-assisted ignition process and flame propagation of a scramjet at Mach 2.0

The ignition process and flame propagation with ethylene fuel in cavity-stabilized scramjet by a Multi-Channel Gliding Arc(MCGA)at Mach 2.0 were investigated.Effects of equivalence ratios on the MCGA-assisted ignition process and flame propagation of the scramjet were recorded by two high-speed cameras from different view angles.The discharge characteristics of MCGA are also collected synchronously with the high-speed cameras.The distributions of temperature,velocity,and equivalence ratios in non-reactive flows of the cavity were simulated by Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)model.The results show that MCGA can achieve reliable ignition with the Global Equivalence Ratios(GER)between 0.06 and 0.17.The ignition process is composed of flame kernel generation,flame development,and stable combustion.The time from flame kernel generation to the establishment of global flame decreases as GER decreases from 0.17 to 0.08.In the streamwise direction,the flame first develops to the Cavity Leading Edge(CLE)because of the influence of the cavity recirculation zone and then uplifts into the cavity shear layer,and finally develops to the Cavity Trailing Edge(CTE).In the spanwise direction,the flame width is less than 50%of the width of the cavity before developing to CLE and begins to develop towards the two sides of the combustor after reaching CLE,which is affected by the angular recirculation zone on both sides of CLE.The ignition processes by MCGA in the scramjet combustor are significantly affected by local distributions of equivalence ratios and velocity in the cavity.

Application study on plasma ignition in aeroengine strut–cavity–injector integrated afterburner

To increase the thrust-weight ratio in next-generation military aeroengines,a new integrated afterburner was designed in this study.The integrated structure of a combined strut–cavity–injector was applied to the afterburner.To improve ignition characteristics in the afterburner,a new method using a plasma jet igniter was developed and optimized for application in the integrated afterburner.The effects of traditional spark igniters and plasma jet igniters on ignition processes and ignition characteristics of afterburners were studied and compared with the proposed design.The experimental results show that the strut–cavity–injector combination can achieve stable combustion,and plasma ignition can improve ignition characteristics.Compared with conventional spark ignition,plasma ignition reduced the ignition delay time by 67 ms.Additionally,the ignition delay time was reduced by increasing the inlet velocity and reducing the excess air coefficient.This investigation provides an effective and feasible method to apply plasma ignition in aeroengine afterburners and has potential engineering applications.

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.

Investigation on ignition characteristics of charring conductive polymers stimulated by electric energy

The arc ignition based on charring conductive polymers has advantages of simple structure,low ignition power consumption and restart capacity,which bringing it broadly application prospect in hybrid propulsion system of micro/nano satellite.In order to optimize the performance of arc ignition system,it is essential to have a deeper understanding of the ignition processes and ignition characteristics of charring conductive polymers.In this paper,the thermal decomposition,electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity characteristics of charring conductive polymers with different conductive additives and matrix materials were comprehensively evaluated.An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the ignition behaviors and characteristics of different charring conductive polymers in a visual ignition combustor.The experiment result showed that the ignition delay and external energy required for ignition are negatively correlated with voltage and initial temperature of the ignition grain,but positively correlated with oxidizer flow velocity.Compared with charring conductive polymers containing multi-walled carbon nanotube,the ignition delay of charring conductive polymers with carbon black is significantly higher and the pyrolysis time is relatively longer.However,the ignition and initial flame propagation of charring conductive polymers with carbon black is more violent and more inclined to carbon particle ignition.Finally,the restart characteristic of different charring conductive polymers was studied.The ignition delay and external energy required for ignition of different charring conductive polymers all reduced with the increasing of the number of ignitions.However,the ignition characteristics would not change a lot after repeated ignition.

Numerical study on cavity ignition process in a supersonic combustor

Large eddy simulations(LESs)of cavity ignition processes were performed in a 2 D ethylene-fueled supersonic combustor with a single rear-wall-expansion cavity based on OpenFOAM.The ethylene combustion was modelled using a 35-step with 20-specie ethylene chemical mechanism,which had been validated by CHEMKIN calculations.The effect on the ignition process of different ignition sites inside the cavity was then studied.It was found that the rear region of the cavity floor is an optimized ignition site where successful ignitions will be achieved.According to different ignition behaviors,two flame extinguishing modes could be identified:blown-off extinguishing mode and flow dissipation extinguishing mode.Blown-off extinguishing mode mainly occurred after ignition near the cavity shear layer,in which the initial flame was blown off directly due to the high speed of the supersonic core flow.Flow dissipation extinguishing mode is likely to occur after ignition near the front and middle cavity floor as a result of severe turbulent dissipations and limited chemical reactions.The study indicates that the movement routine of the initial flame is important for the ignition process,including both moving towards a favorable flow field and forming a large heat release region along the movement.

A forced ignition probability analysis method using kernel formation analysis with turbulent transport and Lagrangian flame particle tracking

A forced ignition probability analysis method is developed for turbulent combustion,in which kernel formation is analyzed with local kernel formation criteria,and flame propagation and stabilization are simulated with Lagrangian flame particle tracking.For kernel formation,the effect of turbulent scalar transport on flammability is modelled through the incorporation of turbulenceinduced diffusion in a spherically outwardly propagating flame kernel model.The dependence of flammability limits on turbulent intensities is tabulated and serves as the flammability criterion for kernel formation.For Lagrangian flame particle tracking,flame particles are tracked in a structured grid with flow fields being interpolated from a Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)solution.The particle velocity follows a Langevin model consisting of a linear drift and an isotropic diffusion term.The Karlovitz number is employed for the extinction criterion,which compares chemical and turbulent timescales.The integration of the above two-step analysis approach with non-reacting CFD is achieved through a general interpolation interface suitable for general unstructured CFD grids.The method is demonstrated for a methane/air bluff-body flame,in which flow and fuel/air mixing characteristics are extracted from a non-reacting simulation.Results show that the computed ignition probability map agrees qualitatively with experimental results.A reduction of the ignition probability in the recirculation zone and a high ignition probability on the shear layer of the recirculation zone near the mean stoichiometric surface are well captured.The tools can facilitate optimization of spark placement and offer insights into ignition processes.

Modelling ignition probability with pairwise mixing-reaction model for flame particle tracking

Reduced order models for ignition analysis can offer insights into ignition processes and facilitate the combustor optimization.In this study,a Pairwise Mixing-Reaction(PMR)model is formulated to model the interaction between the flame particle and the surrounding cell mixture during Lagrangian flame particle tracking.Specifically,the model accounts for the two-way coupling of mass and energy between the flame particle and the surrounding shell layer by modelling the corresponding turbulent mixing,chemical reaction and evaporation process if present.The state of a flame particle,e.g.,burnt,hot gas or extinguished,is determined based on particle temperature.This model can properly describe the ignition process with a spark kernel being initiated in a nonflammable region,which is of practical importance in certain turbine engines and has not been rigorously accounted for by the existing models based on the estimation of local Karlovitz number.The model is integrated into an ignition probability analysis platform and is demonstrated for a methane/air bluff-body flame with the flow and fuel/air mixing characteristics being extracted from a non-reacting simulation.The results show that for the spark location being at the extreme fuellean outer shear layer of the recirculation zone,PMR can yield ignition events with a significant number of active flame particles.The mechanisms for the survival of the initial flame particles and the entrainment of the survived flame particles into the recirculation zone are analyzed.The results also show that the ignition probability map from PMR agrees well with the experimental observation:a high ignition probability in the shear layer of the recirculation zone near the mean stoichiometric surface,and low ignition probabilities inside the recirculation zone and the top stagnation region of the recirculation zone.The parametric study shows that the predicted shape of the ignition progress factor and ignition probability is in general insensitive to the model parameters and the model is adequate for quantifying the regions with high ignition probabilities.

Experimental investigation of a gliding discharge plasma jet igniter

Relight of jet engines at high altitude is difficult due to the relatively low pressure and temperature of inlet air.The penetration of initial flame kernel affects the ignition probability in the turbine engine combustor greatly.In order to achieve successful ignition at high altitude,a deeper penetration of initial flame kernel should be generated.In this study,a Gliding Arc Plasma Jet Igniter(GAPJI)is designed to induce initial flame kernel with deeper penetration to achieve successful ignition at high altitude.The ignition performance of the GAPJI was demonstrated in a model combustor.It was found that GAPJI can generate plasma with deeper penetration up to 30.5 mm than spark igniter with 22.1 mm.The discharge power of GAPJI was positively correlated with flow rate of the carrier gas,approaching 200 W in average.Ignition experiments show that GAPJI has the advantage of extending the lean ignition limit.With GAPJI,the lean ignition limit of the combustor is 0.02 at 0 km,which is 55.6%less than that with spark igniter(0.045).The evolution of flame morphology was observed to explore the development of the flame kernel.It is shown that the advantage of a high penetration and continuous releasing energy can accelerate the ignition process and enhance combustion.

Effect of the micro vortex generator on the characteristics of vaporized RP-3 kerosene combustion in supersonic flows

To investigate the characteristics of vaporized RP-3 kerosene combustion in a scramjet combustor enhanced by the micro vortex generator(MVG),a series of experiments are carried out based on the advanced combustion diagnosis technique.The high-enthalpy incoming flow is accelerated to supersonic through a Mach 2.52 nozzle,the total pressure and temperature of which are 1.6 MPa and 1486 K,respectively.The effect of MVG on the ignition process,flame distribution,and combustor pressure along the bottom wall is well revealed,and the effects of the position and number of MVGs on stable combustion performance are analyzed.The results indicate that the development processes of the initial flame kernel with and without an MVG during ignition process show a similar behavior.The installation of an MVG can lift the shear layer,promote the penetration of flame deeper into the mainstream,and expand the area of the reactive region.Reducing the distance between the MVG and the injection position and increasing the number of MVGs are regarded as effective ways of improving the mixing degree of fuel and air with a resultant intensification of chemical reactions and flame luminescence.The effect of mixing and subsequent combustion is enhanced by shortening the distance between the MVG and the injection position.As the layout schemes of the MVG vary,the pressure distribution between the injection position and the leading edge of the cavity changes considerably,while that in the cavity remains almost constant.Increasing the number of MVGs is also beneficial for improving the premixed degree of fuel and incoming flow and results in more violent chemical reactions downstream of the cavity.