Experimental demonstration of forced initiation of kerosene oblique detonation by an on-wedge trip in an ODE model

The first free-jet experiment of a kerosene-fueled oblique detonation engine, conducted in a large-scale hypersonic shock tunnel, is reported in this paper. A novel initiation-control technique using a small on-wedge trip is proposed to overcome the initiation issue of oblique detonation waves (ODWs) encountered when liquid hydrocarbon fuel is used. The results show that the kerosene-fueled ODW fails to initiate within the length-limited combustor without the trip but is successfully initiated when the trip is used, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed initiation-control method. The feasibility of kerosene-fueled oblique detonation propulsion technology is also demonstrated. Novelty and significance statement The feasibility of liquid-hydrocarbon-fueled oblique detonation propulsion technology was demonstrated by performing free-jet shock tunnel experiments of a kerosene-fueled oblique detonation engine. To address the initiation issue of oblique detonation waves encountered when liquid hydrocarbon fuel such as kerosene is used, a novel but simple initiation-control technique was proposed and experimentally validated. Stabilized oblique detonation waves were implemented in the combustor, and the detailed flow structures of different oblique detonation combustion modes were clarified. The proposed technique and the results provide significant reference to the future development of oblique detonation engines.