To address the issues of ignition and flame extinction in the combustion chamber of a small turbine engine under high-altitude and low-pressure conditions, a gliding arc plasma-assisted ignition and combustion dome was integrated into the combustor. Based on a low-pressure combustion test platform, experiments were conducted to characterize low-pressure discharge dynamics, ignition performance, and flame extinction performance. Systematic comparisons were performed on discharge characteristics, flame evolution processes, and lean-blowout boundaries across varying pressures. Results show that at 80 kPa and 300 L/min, the plasma-assisted ignition and combustion dome exhibited reduced electrical parameters: peak-to-peak voltage decreased to 2 kV, maximum peak voltage to 5 kV, and discharge cycle to 2.2 ms, average discharge power increases to 137 W (90 kPa) and then decreases to 111.6 W(75 kPa) comparing with that via atmospheric operation. Gliding arc plasma significantly broadened the ignition and flameout limits, achieving a 13.5% expansion in ignition limits and a 40.4% reduction in ignition delay time relative to conventional spark ignition. Furthermore, at 90 kPa, the flameout limit was extended by 16.4%. The present study provides the critical insights into plasma-assisted ignition and combustion mechanisms under low-pressure conditions, advancing the design of reliable combustion systems for high-altitude aerospace applications.
A 2026 study studied this question.