Combustion modelling of JP10 in a scramjet engine

This paper introduces a new concept of thermal cracking of aviation fuels using a porous media reactor (PMR). In this process thermal partial oxidation (TPOX) is achieved inside a porous bed where the heavy JP10 is broken down into a lighter molecules. A numerical modelling of the combustion of the decomposed JP10 injected in a scramjet engine is carried out. The results highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate chemistry, combustion and turbulence-chemistry interaction models. The superiority of using multistep chemistry and the eddy-dissipation concept, over fast-chemistry models, in predicting flow and flame characteristics is demonstrated. Overall, the TPOX-PMR approach offers a potential solution for achieving a stable burning of JP10 fuel in scramjet engines. However further design optimisation of the fuel injector is required.