This work primarily focuses on a three-dimensional model of flame propagation and stable combustion in a scramjet chamber. The one-equation LES turbulence model is adopted to close the sub-grid-scale turbulent viscosity terms. The finite-rate combustion model, along with the Jachimowski detailed hydrogen reaction mechanism with eight components and nineteen steps, is used to analyze the flame propagation characteristics of hydrogen combustion in the scramjet combustion chamber. Initially, based on the combustion chamber model, the effect of different injection locations and equivalence ratios on flame kernel formation and the flame propagation process is analyzed. The relationship between different fuel injection conditions and the oxygen consumption rate of the combustion chamber, as well as the total pressure recovery coefficient changes, is investigated. The research focuses on changes in equivalence ratios and injection hole distributions, with injection holes arranged upstream, downstream, and inside of the cavity. The result indicated that when the injection holes were arranged downstream of the cavity, there was a phenomenon of flame backflow into the cavity, which was related to the size of the injection pressure. For this work, the pressure causing flame backflow was approximately 2 MPa. When the injection hole was arranged inside the cavity, the relative distance difference between the injection hole and the upper wall of the cavity led to the formation of two reaction zones in the combustion chamber. When the injection hole was arranged upstream of the cavity, different injection equivalence ratios affected the final stable position and structure of the flame. Therefore, the injection position, injection pressure, and injection equivalence ratio all had a certain impact on the flame kernel formation and flame propagation process.
To improve the flame propagation, combustion stability, and uniformity of the temperature field, multi-position injection is applied in a dual-mode combustor by controlling heat release in different locations. Using the chemical reaction of the finite rate combustion model and the detailed reaction mechanism of hydrogen combustion as described by Jachimowski, the influence of different multi-position injection patterns in a dual-mode combustor is analyzed. The one-equation Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model was chosen to define the sublattice turbulent viscous terms in a three-dimensional scramjet model. Based on a combustion chamber, the effect of the injection equivalent ratio (0.35–0.70), the relative position of the nozzle holes, and the injection pressure on the combustion process and flow field characteristics are analyzed with multi-position injection. The combustion efficiency, total pressure recovery coefficients, and pressure distribution under different operation conditions are compared. We observed that the combustion intensity increases and the upstream combustion shock string distance becomes greater with increased equivalent ratios. When the global equivalent ratio of multi-position injection remains unchanged, the arrangement of nozzles with the small injection spacing, i.e., two injection holes arranged face to face on the upper and lower walls, or the setting of multiple injection holes with the same pressure, can effectively increase the stability rate of the combustion flow field. In addition, the combustion efficiency at the outlet and the internal pressure of the combustion chamber in the stable state are also improved, relative to the increased total pressure loss.