Mixing and combustion studies using cavity-based flameholders in a supersonic flow

An experimental investigation of the mixing and combustion processes that occur in and around a cavity-based flameholder in a supersonic flow is reported. Cavity-based flameholders are commonly found in hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet combustors; however, detailed information concerning the behavior of these devices, their optimal shape and fueling strategies, combustion stability, and interactions with disturbances in the main airflow (i.e., shock trains or shock-boundary layer interactions) is largely unavailable in the existing literature. This work is part of an ongoing research program aimed at providing information to help fill these voids and improve the overall understanding of cavities for use as scramjet flameholders.