Mixing Effects of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection Located Upstream of a Flameholding Cavity in Supersonic Flow

The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Propulsion Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is conducting ongoing research into propulsive efficiency in supersonic ramjet (scramjet) technology. One current focus of this research is the usefulness of flameholding cavities implemented in the supersonic hydrocarbon-fueled combustion chamber. Because good mixing and proper cavity-core interaction lead to more efficient combustion, methods of optimizing fuel/air mixing both within and upstream the cavity are investigated. In a cooperative effort with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), AFRL provided a supersonic wind tunnel outfitted with an existing cavity design.