Experimental Investigation of Kerosene Droplet Distribution in a Linearized Rotating Detonation Engine

The atomization and mixing process in a linearized rotating detonation engine supplied with non-premixed kerosene was optically analyzed by experiment. Schlieren, simultaneous LIF/Mie technique and particle/droplet image analysis (PDIA) system were applied to study flow field structure and spray properties under various conditions, including air flow rate, fuel flow rate and flow velocity at injector position. Aerodynamic shearing force and fuel injection pressure contribute to the refinement and uniformity of the spray. The distribution of fuel in the combustor has obvious stratification, which makes the local equivalence ratio higher than the set global equivalence ratio. Compared with full-scale RDE experiments, the detonation wave exists in a dual-wave collision mode. The increased kerosene flow rate refines the droplets, which raises the detonation wave velocity. Furthermore, the detonation wave will propagate more stably due to the slower airflow velocity at higher combustor pressure.