Investigating Instabilities in a Rotating Detonation Combustor Operating With Natural Gas–Hydrogen Fuel Blend—Effect of Air Preheat and Annulus Width

Propagation characteristics of a detonation wave in an air-breathing rotating detonation combustor (RDC) using natural gas (NG)–hydrogen fuel blends is presented in this paper. Short-duration (∼up to 6 s) experiments were performed on a 152.4 mm OD uncooled RDC with two different annulus gap widths (5.08 mm and 7.62 mm) over a range of equivalence ratios (0.6–1.0) at varying inlet air temperatures (∼65–204 °C) and NG content (up to 15%) with precombustion operating pressure slightly above ambient. It was observed that the RDC, with an annulus gap width of 5.08 mm, was inherently unstable when NG was added to the hydrogen fuel while operating at precombustion pressures near ambient and at an inlet air temperature of 65 °C. Increasing the annulus gap width to 7.62 mm improved the stability of the detonation wave at similar temperatures and pressure permitting operation with as much as 5% NG by volume. While observed speeds of the detonation waves were still below theoretical values, an increase in inlet air temperature reduced the variability in wave speed. The frequency analysis thus explored in this study is an effort to quantify detonation instability in an RDC under varying operational envelope. The data presented are relevant toward developing strategies to sustain a stable detonation wave in an RDC using NG for land-based power generation.