Combustion of H2/air supersonic mixing layers with splitter plate: Growth rates and transport characteristic.

H2/air supersonic mixing layers were calculated with different splitter plates thickness in both inert and reactive cases. The decay of mixing layer growth rates with the presence of heat release indicates the inhibition of fluctuations of velocity and scalar. Analyses of mean pressure and mean scalar show that the combustion efficiency increases with thickening of splitter plate. Heat release effect strengthens local compressibility, and then the relation among local compressibility, mean shear and velocity fluctuations is built. Considering heat release effect, the peak value of turbulent kinetic energy of moderate thickness splitter plates (the thickness equals 4 mm) is smallest. Similar phenomena are observed in scalar variance and vorticity variance, indicating the turbulent development of moderate thickness splitter plates is slowest. • Mixing layer growth rates decrease in the presence of heat release. • Combustion efficiency increases with thickening of splitter plate. • Thickening the splitter plate reduces the importance of nibbling. • The relation among local compressibility, shear and fluctuations are built. • The turbulent development of R-4 (moderate thickness) is slowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]