METASTABLE EXCITED REACTANTS FOR A QUANTUM INCREASE IN SCRAMJET PERFORMANCE

SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY ARE NEEDED FOR THE NEW GENERATION OF HYPERSONIC FLIGHT VEHICLES. MOST COMBUSTION PROCESSES ARE CURRENTLY HINDERED BY CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY THE CONDITION OF HYPERSONIC FLOW. THIS PROPOSAL OFFERS A NOVEL IDEA FOR IMPROVING COMBUSTION BY IN-FLIGHT SYNTHESIS AND EMPLOYMENT OF METASTABLE EXCITED CHEMICAL SPECIES AS REACTANTS IN SUPERSONIC COMBUSTION ENGINES. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO EXPERIMENTALLY DEMONSTRATE THE CONCEPT USING A MODEL REACTANT, SINGLET MOLECULAR OXYGEN. SINGLET MOLECULAR OXYGEN WILL BE SYNTHESIZED FROM GROUND STATE OXYGEN BY A UNIQUE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGEPHOTODISSOCIATION SEQUENCE, AND MIXED WITH REPRESENTATIVE FUELS. AUTOIGNITION TEMPERATURES AND INDUCTION TIMES OF THE ENSUING REACTIONS WILL THEN BE MEASURED. MARKEDLY ENHANCED REACTIVITY OVER GROUND STATE OXYGEN WILL DEMONSTRATE CONCEPT FEASIBILITY. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS NEW CONCEPT MAY BE APPLIED TO A SELECTED VARIETY OF ADVANCED FUELS AND OXIDANTS. THESE EXCITED REACTANTS WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE OVERALL COMBUSTION RATE. IMPROVE COMBUSTION WILL PROVIDE THE HIGH PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY NEEDED TO ADVANCE HYPERSONIC SYSTEMS TO PRACTICALITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS.