Experimental study of rotating gliding arc discharge plasma-assisted combustion in an aero-engine combustion chamber

The combustion chamber is the core component of an aero-engine, and affects its reliability and security operation, even the performance of the aircraft. In this work, a Plasma-Assisted Combustion(PAC) test platform was developed to validate the feasibility of using PAC actuators to enhance annular combustor performance. Two plans of PAC(rotating gliding arc discharge plasma) were designed, Assisted Combustion from Primary Holes(ACPH) and Assisted Combustion from Dilution Holes(ACDH). Comparative experiments and analysis between conventional combustion and PAC were conducted to study the effects of ACPH and ACDH on the performances including average outlet temperature, combustion efficiency, pattern factor under four different excessive air coefficients(0.8, 1, 2, and 4), and lean blowout performance at different inlet airflow velocities. Experimental results show that the combustion efficiency is improved after PAC compared with that in normal conditions, and the combustion efficiency of ACPH increases2.45%, 1.49%, 1.04%, and 0.47%, while it increases 2.75%, 1.67%, 1.36%, and 0.36% under ACDH conditions. The uniformity of the outlet temperature field and the lean blowout performance are improved after PAC. Especially for ACPH, the widening of the lean blowout limit is8.3%, 12.4%, 12.8%, and 25% respectively when the inlet velocity ranges from 60 m/s to120 m/s. These results offer new perspectives for using PAC devices to enhance aero-engine combustors’ performances.