Studies of Turbulent Mixing and Combustion in Supersonic Heterogeneous Flows.

The objective of the program was the development of analytical models of various flow configurations which can be used in the design of supersonic air-breathing propulsion systems. The work described in the report represents an extension of earlier studies in the program to conditions that exist in air-augmented rocket systems. These conditions vary according to the nature of the rocket propellant, as liquid propellants usually produce only gaseous fuel-rich combustion products whereas solid propellant rockets emit heterogeneous products which contain small combustible particles. The inclusion of particles produces significant effects upon reacting turbuelent flows, particularly when the particles themselves continue to burn. Some predictions of their behavior in a reacting flow field are presented. A series of systematic tests has been planned by which the experimental conditions proceed stepwise through conditions of increasing primary stream (rocket exhaust) complexity starting with a cold nonreactive gas and ending with a hot, reactive, heterogeneous mixture. The method permits the effects of temperature, of gaseous combustion and solid combustion upon a supersonic, reacting flow field to be isolated. Results obtained from the experimental tests are presented, and some conclusions are drawn from the data. (Author)