Combustion characteristics and concentration measurement of ADN-based liquid propellant with electrical ignition method in a combustion chamber.

• Electrical ignition experiments of ADN based liquid propellant in Ar, air and N 2 O were conducted in a combustion chamber. • The ignition and combustion processes of ADN based liquid propellant were analyzed according to the images recorded in the experiments. • Ignition delay time and peak combustion pressure of ADN based liquid propellant under different on-load voltages were studied. • Ignition energy and total energy were observed under different on-load voltages. • The mole fractions of key reaction products CO and N 2 O of ADN based liquid propellant were analyzed. An experimental study was performed to investigate combustion characteristics of ammonium dinitramide (ADN) based liquid propellant with electrical ignition method in a combustion chamber. The experiment was conducted in different gas atmospheres such as argon, air and nitrous oxide under an on-load voltage range of 60–100 V. The influence of the gas atmosphere, on-load voltage on the ignition delay time, peak combustion pressure, ignition energy, total energy and key reaction products mole fractions were studied. The ignition delay time of propellant decreases gradually with the increase of ignition voltage, while the ambient gas has little effect on the ignition delay time because the flame appears inside the propellant earliest. The peak combustion pressure of propellant is highest when the ambient gas is nitrous oxide, whereas lowest in argon atmosphere. The ignition energy and total energy are insensitive to gas atmosphere and decrease gradually with the increasing on-load voltage. The concentration of N 2 O increases with the increase of on-load voltage. The mole fraction of CO decreases with the increase of on-load voltage in general, especially obviously at relatively high on-load voltage of 100 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]