Stabilization of supersonic combustion of propane in an expanding aerodynamic channel with the use of low-temperature plasma

Under the conditions of a nonstationary pulsating longitudinal-transverse discharge produced in a supersonic cold $(T = 175$ K$)$ air flow, the combustion of a propane-air mixture has been stabilized. It has been shown that the completeness of propane combustion after stabilization under the conditions of low-temperature plasma amounts to about $95\%$. The combustion occurs at a flame temperature of $1800$–$2000$ K. A propulsion thrust of about $55$ N has been obtained the course of an experiment with plasma-assisted combustion of propane in an expanding channel with a length of $50$ cm and a ratio of the inlet and outlet cross sections of $S_2/S_1 = 12.7$ at mass flow rates of $105$ and $4.9$ g/s for air and propane, respectively. This shows good agreement with the value of $60$ N calculated under the conditions of complete propane burning.