Rotating gliding arc discharge plasma-assisted combustion from ignition hole

Plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) is a potential method to improve the performances of aero-engine combustion chambers. A plasma-assisted combustion actuator (PACA) that operates without an additional air supply device was designed to improve the performance of the combustion chamber. To validate the feasibility of using the PACA to enhance the annular combustor performance, a plasma-assisted combustion test platform was established. It was found that the PACA could improve combustion performance in many aspects. Experimental results showed that the average outlet temperature of the combustion chamber increased from 1386 to 1652 K when the excess air coefficient (α) was 0.8 after PAC. Compared with the normal conditions, the uniformity of the outlet temperature field was improved. The combustion efficiency of the PAC could be increased by up to 10.98% under fuel-rich conditions. In addition, the lean blowout performance was improved, which meant the flame could continue burning under leaner fuel conditions. In other words, PAC greatly improved the stability of combustion.