Optimization of double plasma jet torches in a scramjet combustor

Ignition tests by double plasma jet (PJ) torches in a supersonic flow were conducted. Two PJ torches with different feedstocks were arranged in a straight line in the direction of flow. The Mach number of the airflow was 2.3, and the total temperature and total pressure of the main flow were those of room conditions. A C2H4 fuel perpendicularly injected with its sonic speed into the main flow was tested. A combination of O2–O2 feedstocks for the two torches was more effective than other combinations such as H2/N2–O2. Moreover, the effectiveness of the double PJs was found to be almost the same as that of a single PJ. These results indicate that combustion reactions of the main fuel injected upstream of the PJ were mostly completed in the vicinity of the upstream PJ. The upstream PJ was considered to be dominant for ignition and the combustion process, indicating that the influence of the downstream PJ was small. On the other hand, the advantage of the double PJs over the single PJ in reducing damage to the torch nozzle was confirmed.