Abstract The modeling of fluids in the supercritical regime is addressed at conditions characteristic of liquid-propelled rocket engines, whose increasing performance demands paved the way for supercritical conditions. In the present document, nitrogen is used as a surrogate for the commonly encountered oxygen-hydrogen mixture so that turbulence mixing can be looked into without influences from combustion and chemically reacting effects. The temperature field validation on nitrogen coaxial injection at supercritical conditions, with high-velocity ratios (outer-to-inner), where the main (inner) stream is recessed relative to the outer stream, is of paramount importance in the flame stabilization operation of liquid rocket motors. The temperature field is analyzed taking into account varying momentum and velocity ratios, whose increased leads to a reduction of potential core lengths, increasing jet spreading. The results also depict a fundamental influence of thermal effects, dominating over the transport of momentum. The experimental data and large eddy simulation solvers from the literature agree with the estimate of injection velocities at several conditions and comparable to the space shuttle main engine pre-burner.
Highlights Transcritical and supercritical injection is studied for single-species coaxial nitrogen injection, taking into account injector heat transfer. Extension of Banuti and Hannemann analysis, detailing the temperature field. Characterization of the temperature field at supercritical and transcritical conditions.
Computational characterization of the temperature field in coaxial nitrogen injection under supercritical conditions
Acta Astronautica ; 212 ; 329-338
2023-08-04
10 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch