Efficient and Reliable Multi-kernel Plasma Ignitor for Hypersonic Scramjets

The objective of the proposed Phase-II effort by the team at Spectral Energies LLC, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan is to develop an efficient and reliable multi-kernel plasma ignitor for scramjets and rotating detonation engines (RDEs). With the proposed technique, we aim to demonstrate successful and reliable ignition in hypersonic facilities and deliver a prototype plasma ignitor to the AFRL end user. The Phase-II research will involve designing, fabricating, testing, and optimizing the proposed multi-kernel plasma ignitor. Various optimization strategies, including energy deposition synchronization, will be implemented and demonstrated in model scramjets. The performance of the proposed ignitor will be characterized through a variety of optical diagnostic techniques. In Phase III, such instrumentation and technologies will be commercialized and made available to a range of Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, Department of Energy (DOE), and academic scramjets, as well as ground test facilities.