Experimental research on rotating detonation in liquid fuel-gaseous air mixtures

This paper describes experimental research into the initiation and propagation of rotating detonation for liquid kerosene and gaseous air mixtures. The research facility with main subsystems is described: fuel and air feeding system, initiation and measurement system. The methods of measurement and calculation of the mass flow rate for each mixture component and methods of calculation of propagation velocity are presented. Pressure inside the detonation chamber was measured by up to three, fast Kistler transducers, which were placed in one line along the chamber or in one plane around the circumference. Propagation of rotating detonation was obtained for a mixture of liquid kerosene and air and a small addition of gaseous hydrogen (below the lean limit). In some experiments, liquid isopropyl nitrate was added to kerosene and its influence to enhance the detonation sensitivity of the kerosene-air mixture was checked. Also a velocity deficit of 20-25% was determined for rotating detonation for the examined heterogeneous mixture.