Large eddy simulations (LES) of non reactive and reactive flows in a cavity-based scramjet combustor configuration from the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are performed. These simulations feature a 22 species and 206 reactions chemical scheme for ethylene/air. The ability of LES to reproduce the main features found in the experiment is first emphasised such as the average velocity field and the stability of the combustion for the case studied. The influence of the mesh resolution and of the thermal wall condition on the simulation results is also investigated along with the soundness of the use of a laminar model for the filtered source terms. The results of the simulations with the finest grid (resolution of 100 micrometers in the flame region) are then employed to gain understanding in the flame dynamics. This reactive simulation shows the persistence of the two recirculation zones already present in the non reactive flow. The globally high temperature into the cavity helps to sustain a reactive zone located in the mixing layer above the cavity. Combustion first occurs in a diffusion dominated regime followed by the efficient burning of a well stirred mixture (rich then lean). A significant diffusion dominated burning is also found inside the cavity. The links between the residence time inside the cavity and the efficiency of the combustion are explored along with the velocity/heat release correlation.

Large eddy simulations (LES) of a scramjet combustor are reported in this paper. The case under study is a cavity-based combustion chamber that is experimentally studied at the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory. The chamber is fed by eleven injectors. The computational domains are either simplified including only one or two injectors or complete with the 11 injectors. A good agreement is found between experimental data (velocities measured by PIV) and results from the LES if the kinetic used is chosen with care. A high temperature is found inside the cavity promoting a reactive zone located in the mixing layer where the flow velocity is high. At this location, the combustion occurs first in a diffusion dominated regime followed by the efficient burning of a well mixed mixture (rich then lean). A significant diffusion dominated burning is also found inside the cavity, mostly at the interface between the two recirculation zones. The simulation of the complete geometry revealed a transverse phenomenon on the temperature and mixing fields, but which had nevertheless little effect on the comparison with the available experimental data. A tabulation of the chemistry based on a premixed flamelet library without compressibility effects has been tested a priori on the results of the simulation with one injector. Good results on temperature and H 2 O fields are found. Significant localized discrepancies appeared on CO and CO 2 fields due to the complexity of the combustion regimes, while compressibility effects were found to be weak for the configuration studied.