Experimental study on the ignition characteristics of a three-phase electrodes plasma-enhanced swirl combustion

The ability to achieve reliable ignition in aircraft engines under extreme conditions is important for ensuring flight safety. To address this challenge, a novel three-phase electrodes plasma-enhanced combustion technology was proposed. Three-phase rotating gliding arc electrodes are integrated into the inner wall of swirler to generate a large volume of low-temperature plasma, where it cracks the kerosene-air mixture for enhanced combustion. Experiments on the ignition characteristics of three-phase rotating gliding arc discharge plasma and an analysis of emissions were carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Representative single ignition experimental results showed that the gliding arc discharge enabled multi-point ignition, rapidly forming multiple initial flame kernels within the fuel spray. This accelerates flame propagation, which in turn ensures prompt ignition and substantially reduces the ignition delay time. Compared with traditional electric spark ignition, the three-phase rotating gliding arc exhibits distinct mechanistic advantages. In the secondary atomization zone of the swirl cup, it shows more favorable ignition behavior than in the primary atomization zone. Plasma-assisted fuel cracking markedly reduced CO emissions, with a slight NO x penalty at lower excess air ratio and an increase in exhaust H 2 .