The U.S. has placed a high priority on routine access to space and the use of high-energy-density (HED) propellants can make a significant enhancement in our launch capability. These propellants will offer a higher specific impulse and increased rates of energy release. A major barrier to the successful use of HED propellants, however, is that increased energy release density is known to result in more frequent and more severe occurrences of combustion instability. The proposed work is a vehicle to join Penn State University's knowledge in the areas of high-energy-density propellant combustion and combustion instability with Fluid Jet Associates' technology in electromechanical control of fluid sprays. The objective of the project is to demonstrate the principle of an active control scheme for the suppression of combustion instability. The basis of the control scheme is the modulation of energy input into the system. Prototypical control hardware will be designed and fabricated. The ability of the control scheme to modify the combustion characteristics of both HED propellants and a conventional baseline hydrocarbon fuel will be evaluated in a high-pressure, optically-accessible combustor. This technology is relevant to power generation, materials processing, and propulsion applications. Potential Commecial Applications: The ability to control combustion instabilities will have application in those industries where combustion efficiency or weight of the combustor is important. These industries include waste incineration, aircraft turbine engines, rocket engines, thermal power generation, and ceramic and metal powder production.
