CFD Comparison of Hydrogen and Ethylene Fuel in Hypersonic Scramjets

Hypersonic flight, characterized by speeds above Mach 5, holds transformative potential for both military and commercial aviation, but it also presents significant challenges in engine design. Supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) offer a promising solution to achieve these extreme speeds. However, scramjet engines face difficulties in achieving efficient fuel-air mixing due to the short residence time of air in the combustor, which becomes extreme at hypersonic speeds. Cavity flameholders, which create recirculating flow zones to stabilize the combustion process, have emerged as a key solution to this challenge. This research focuses on the comparative performance of ethylene and hydrogen as fuels in the scramjet engine, focusing on the impacts of each fuel type on ignition characteristics, combustion efficiency, and emissions at hypersonic conditions. This research aims to compare standard gaseous ethylene to hydrogen fuel and optimize scramjet design to reduce environmental impact, paving the way for more environmentally sustainable hypersonic flight.