New Technique to Identify the Onset of Combustion Instability

Combustion instability in air breathing propulsion engines can lead to catastrophic consequences. Unfortunately, as engines are operated at conditions to minimize pollutant emissions, the risk of crossing the boundary to unstable combustion increases. This Phase I project twill demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative sensing technique that will identify the onset of combustion instability in turboengines and ramjets. In addition to detecting incipient combustion instability the sensor will provide a means to monitor and diagnose the general operational health of the engine. The product that results from this project (Phases I and II) will provide direct benefit to three of NASA?s ten goals of the 25-year vision: 1) reduction of NOx and CO2 emissions; 2) reduction of accident rates; and 3) cut development cycle time of revolutionary technology.