Assessment of Different Hydrogen-Air Reaction Models Effects on Numerical Predictions of a 2D Air-Breathing Rotating Detonation Engine

Comparison of air-breathing 2D Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) simulations utilizing different hydrogen-air combustion models is conducted. The detonation wave velocity, temperature, and pressure profiles are being compared amongst models, with the theoretical Champman-Jouguet (CJ) point values. The motivation is finding a reasonable compromise between computational resources needed, and accuracy of the results. Preliminary results are presented for two chemical kinetics models: one accounting for NOx formation and one excluding it. Despite the low concentration of nitrogen derivatives, the more detailed mechanism yields simulation results that align more closely with theoretical predictions. Specifically, the deviations from the CJ detonation velocity are 1.6% for the NOx-inclusive model and 7% for the simplified model.