Interaction Between Sound and Flow: Stability of T-Burners

The question of the effect of gas flow on the damping of an acoustic cavity with an orifice is of considerable importance in connection with the experimental determination of the acoustic admittance of burning solid propellants. The present investigation considers a center-vented rigid-walled cylindrical cavity which contains burning propellant at either or both ends. The only acoustic loss mechanism considered is that of the orifice. It is found that the presence of flow will, in general, have a significant effect on the conditions necessary for the acoustic stability of such a cavity and on the interpretation of the growth and decay rates in terms of the acoustic admittances characterizing the ends of the cavity. (Author)