Numerical simulation of three-dimensional reacting flow in a model supersonic combustor

Numerical simulations of the three-dimensional reacting flow in a staged supersonic combustor (Mach 2.5) have been carried out. The combustor has a strut for the first stage and wall-mounted injectors for the second stage (S. Tomioka, A. Murakami, K. Kudo, and T. Mitani, "Combustion Tests of a Staged Supersonic Combustor with a Strut," Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2001, pp. 293-300). The Spalart-Allmaras model has been used for modeling turbulence and single-step finite-rate chemistry has been used for modeling the H2/Air kinetics. The grid has been refined to achieve average value for wall y+ less than 20. The predicted static-pressure profile along the centerline of the combustor is compared with experimental data for different injection schemes. Details of the flowfield inside the combustor as well as variation of mixing efficiency, combustion efficiency, and total pressure loss along the length are presented and discussed.