Student Name: Myeongjin Kim

Advisor: Dr. Wenting Sun

Milestone: MS Thesis Final Examination (Defense)

Degree Program: Aerospace Engineering

Title: Plasma-Assisted Smart Injector Control of Tangential High-Frequency Combustion Instabilities for Enhanced Instability-to-Detonation Transition 

Abstract: Since the development of early rocket engines in the 1950s, Tangential High Frequency Combustion Instability (THFCI) has remained one of the most destructive and least understood phenomena in liquid rocket engines. As rotating detonation engines continue to be researched for their commercialization, emerging evidence suggests that THFCI can evolve into detonation under certain conditions. The amplification of THFCI is often described as a complex linear process involving the coupling between pressure oscillations and the heat release process. However, this linear assumption breaks down when the nonlinear effects, such as the formation of a shock wave, dominate as the pressure oscillation reaches a stable, saturated level. This research aims to develop and experimentally test the optimal conditions to achieve detonation from THFCI with the assistance of Plasma Actuation.

Date and time: 2026-04-20, 1:00 PM

Location: BTZ 107 Conference Room

Committee:
Dr. Wenting Sun (advisor), School of Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Benjamin Emerson, School of Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Oleksandr Bibik, School of Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Sandia National Laboratories
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