Relight is the process of reigniting an aircraft engine after the extinction of the flame in the combustion chamber. With flameout typically occurring at low pressure and temperature conditions, present at cruise altitudes, successful relight can be a challenge, especially for modern low-NOx, lean-burn engines. This project aimed to replicate high-altitude combustor conditions in a custom-built experimental apparatus. This design consisted of a counterflow configuration supplied with fuel spray droplets to understand ignition and flame propagation relevant to high-altitude relight. A pressure vessel and cooling system were designed to emulate high-altitude atmospheric conditions. To improve the designs, structural, fluid, and thermal analyses were conducted using ANSYS, FLUENT, and COMSOL. Lastly, testing was conducted to validate the experimental apparatus.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Stern, Jonathan
• Sirois, John
• Kodali, Meenakshi
• Davis, Ethan

Subject

• Environment
• Computing
• Project-Based Learning
• Sustainability
• Energy
• Infrastructure
• Innovation
• Industry

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 54146
• E-project-032522-132829

Keyword

• Fluid Flow
• Fuel Delivery Systems
• Non-ideal Combustion
• Combustion
• Heat Transfer
• High-Altitude Relight

Advisor

• Jayachandran, Jagannath

Year

• 2022

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
• 13 - Climate Action

Date created

• 2022-03-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Aerospace Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright