Experimental investigation of rotating detonation engine fueled by liquid ethanol and oxygen-enriched air

Abstract

In this short communication, we explore the feasibility of using renewable ethanol fuel for the rotating detonation engine (RDE) and examine the behavior of the two-phase rotating detonation wave under varying working conditions. The liquid ethanol is injected at ambient temperature, while oxygen-enriched air (60 % oxygen by mass) is supplied at mass flow rates ranging from 90 to 200 g/s. The operation of the RDE is examined under fuel-lean conditions with equivalence ratios ranging from 0.4 to 0.9. At lower mass flow rates, the rotating detonation can still be initiated but remains highly unstable. As the mass flow rate increases, the stability of the ethanol-fueled RDE improves, premature extinction becomes less frequent, and the velocity deficit of the rotating detonation wave decreases.