Dmitry DAVIDENKO, Thomas GAILLARD, Pierre HELLARD, Pierre VIDAL, Ratiba ZITOUN, Patrick BERTERRETCHE
DOI Number: N/A
Conference number: HiSST-2025-255
This study addresses the problematics of improving operating characteristics of a rotating detonation combustor (RDC) by means of injector optimisation. An injector concept with partial premixing of propellants in a small prechamber was developed and optimised at ONERA using numerical simulations. It was realised as the ITEM injector for a laboratory-scale RDC tested at the GAP facility of Pprime Institute, together with a commonly used injector design. The obtained results show superior detonation characteristics with the partially-premixed injection. The annular gap width is another important factor for detonation wave stability. Numerical simulations with the CEDRE code of ONERA demonstrate a fairly good agreement with the experimental results regarding detonation propagation characteristics and the visualised wave structure. The simulation results confirm good mixing ahead of the detonation front and low deflagration losses.