[en] The plasma-assisted combustion is considered as a prospective approach for ignition of a hydrocarbon fuel and flameholding in a supersonic airflow. Stable flameholding of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon fuel was achieved by means of surface Q-DC discharge without employing mechanical flameholders in a supersonic combustion chamber. However, a high level of electric power, typically required to realize this method, may limit its application in a real apparatus. The current experimental and computational efforts continue the study of a distributed plasma system with the aim of reduction the total energy consumption and extending the life cycle of the electrode system. In the work described in this paper, the interaction of two separated plasma modules was investigated. The fuel ignition caused by individually controlled plasma modules was explored showing a significant effect of the plasma filament length on ignition efficiency. (paper)

[en] The plasma-based technique was studied for ignition and flameholding in a supersonic airflow in different laboratories for a long time. It was shown that flameholding of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon fuel is feasible by means of surface DC discharge without employing mechanical flameholders in a supersonic combustion chamber. However, a high power consumption may limit application of this method in a real apparatus. This experimental and computational work explores a distributed plasma system, which allows reducing the total energy consumption and extending the life cycle of the electrode system. Due to the circuit flexibility, this approach may be potentially enriched with feedbacks for design of a close loop control system. (paper)

[en] This paper presents the results of experimental study of plasma-based actuator for mixing of the fuel with air in a supersonic flow. The long unsteady plasma filament of Q-DC electrical discharge is located along the fuel jet from a wall-arranged supersonic injector with a wall-normal direction of injection. The location of plasma filament over the fuel jet was controlled by using the nozzle of injector as one of discharge electrodes. Three different gases were tested for simulation of fuel injection: air, CO₂ and C₂H₄. It was found that the discharge position in respect of the fuel jet significantly depends on the injected gas. The activation of discharge within all injected gases results in development of fluid instability at fuel-air interface which leads to the mixing enhancement. (paper)

[en] The paper describes experimental research of the surface electrical discharge influence on the ignition and combustion of the gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon fuel in supersonic airflow without mechanical flameholders. Electrodes of plasma generator are integrated with injectors of gaseous fuel. Tests were carried out on the experimental setup T131B in TsAGI. Diagnostics includes schlieren visualization, measurements of pressure distribution and discharge voltage/current. It is shown that new scheme of plasma generation and pilot fuel injection is rather effective and provides ignition of liquid hydrocarbon fuel in hot supersonic airflow (T ₀=750 K) and ethylene ignition in cold (T ₀=300 K) supersonic airflow. (paper)