Influence of equivalence ratio on plasma assisted detonation initiation by alternating current dielectric barrier discharge under rich burn condition

In order to study the effect of different equivalence ratios on plasma assisted detonation initiation under a rich burn condition, a loosely coupled method was adopted to simulate the detonation formation by alternating current dielectric barrier discharge in a hydrogen–oxygen gas mixture with different equivalence ratios. The spatial and temporal evolution of discharge products were analyzed first. Then, the species distribution, Mach number, thrust wall pressure, and whole history of detonation formation were examined in detail. Results showed that the shapes of the temporal and spatial distribution of discharge products do not change when equivalence ratio varies in one discharge cycle. However, due to the variation of the percentage of fuel and oxidizer, and its impact on the discharge elementary reactions, the number density of every key active particle declines while the decline amplitude decreases when equivalence ratio rises. Although the magnitudes of species concentration are not altered by the plasma, the reacted region extends towards the downstream flow more quickly. The influence of equivalence ratio on plasma assisted detonation initiation becomes remarkable until late in the subsonic stage of the flowfield evolution process in the combustor under a rich burn condition. Furthermore, a larger equivalence ratio leads to a better accelerating effect of the plasma. Through analyzing the dynamic process of thrust wall pressure, it is also found that the DDT process is expedited more notably under a larger equivalence ratio, yet the magnitude of pressure is independent of the plasma. The provision of active particles for the combustion reaction by the plasma and its dilution effect on the fuel are the two intrinsic reasons for the reduction of DDT time and distance and the increase of this reduction degree, when equivalence ratio rises.