Numerical study of operational processes in a GOx-kerosene rocket engine with liquid film cooling

Evgenij A. Strokach ^a, Igor N. Borovik ^a,*, Vladimir G. Bazarov ^a, Oscar J. Haidn ^b

a. Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), Moscow, 125080, Russia
         b. Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85748, Germany

Abstract: Combustion process inside kerosene-GOx rocket combustor with kerosene film cooling is studied, and a modeling approach is proposed. The paper suggests to use the Lagrangian particle tracking technique to model fuel film behavior while the continuous fluid is simulated via the Navier-Stokes system of Favre-averaged equations. The approach is validated over the 12 experimental regimes by the criterions of characteristic velocity and pressure. The numerical study of film mass flow using the applied methodology shows significant influence on the adiabatic wall temperatures and relatively low impact on the pressure. In general, due to the application of the Lagrangian tracking and mostly simple models for main physical phenomena, the calculation of operational processes becomes fast and robust yet precise enough for engineering studies, which is helpful for parameterized routine calculations during the design process.

Keywords: Liquid rocket engine; Kerosene; Oxygen; Favre-averaged Navier-Stokes; Film cooling; Numerical simulation