Igniter
Design and test of an augmented spark igniter
5 bars of chamber pressure
GOX/ETH
+ 2100 °C
The working principle of our augmented spark igniter is very straightforward: liquid ethanol is injected through two opposing holes, while gaseous oxygen is introduced through two additional holes. These four holes direct the propellants toward a single point at the center of the combustion chamber, where the ethanol droplets are atomized by the oxygen stream. This creates a dispersion of fine fuel droplets within an oxygen-rich environment. A simple spark, provided by an automobile spark plug, is then sufficient to initiate combustion. The resulting hot gases are directed towards the nozzle, where they deliver their energy to ignite the engine.
The working principle of our augmented spark igniter is very straightforward: liquid ethanol is injected through two opposing holes, while gaseous oxygen is introduced through two additional holes. These four holes direct the propellants toward a single point at the center of the combustion chamber, where the ethanol droplets are atomized by the oxygen stream. This creates a dispersion of fine fuel droplets within an oxygen-rich environment. A simple spark, provided by an automobile spark plug, is then sufficient to initiate combustion. The resulting hot gases are directed towards the nozzle, where they deliver their energy to ignite the engine.
Test
Bench
The igniter has been successfully tested on various combustion profiles (including continuous combustion for up to 5 seconds and pulsed combustion) using a test bench of our own design.
First test bench project of the team, conducted on a smaller scale where both fluid systems and electronics are straightforward, which provided valuable experience before embarking on the project of testing our rocket engine.
