Аннотация:The possibility of non-thermal plasma-chemical initiation of combustion in supersonic flows of H2+O2 and CH4+O2 mixtures with singlet oxygen O2(a1Δg) and O2(b1Σg+) generated in electric discharges is studied by detailed plasma and chemical kinetic simulation of gas discharge and reactive flow dynamics. It is found that selective excitation of O2 molecules leads to acceleration of chain-branching reactions of ignition and this is much more efficient for supersonic combustion than gas heating by electric discharges at the same energy deposition.