Fluidic Fuel Flow Modulation for Active Combustion Control

We propose a novel method of high frequency, high control authority fluidic modulation of pilot fuel flow to enable implementation of active combustion instability control (ACIC) either by feedback control or decoupling of the heat release frequency with that of the resonance frequency of the combustion chamber. The possible rugged design of the fluidic device permits its installation in the harsh environment right upstream of the fuel injector thus enabling closer coupling for high-fidelity control action. The method also provides a means of accurate measurement of fuel flow metered through the device. In Phase I, we propose design, fabrication and testing of two fluidic methods of pulsing the fuel ? one method is driven by a fluidic oscillator and a second method by a vortex diode using an externally triggered pulse for phase controlled pulsations. In Phase II, based on the obtained performance characteristics and the customer needs, we will down-select the best of the options for further development.