Modeling the coolant flow in regeneratively cooled rocket engines is a challenging task because of high wall temperature gradients, high Reynolds number and 3D-geometry of the passages. In case of methane as coolant, a further complication is the trans-critical operating condition of the fluid,which can greatly influence the coolant flow field and heat transfer. In the present paper a 3D Navier-Stokes solver for real gas is first validated for trans-critical hydrogen flows, then it is used to study the 3D flow fields of transcritical methane flow in rectangular cross section cooling channels. Finally, the results obtained for a reference straight channel flow are compared with those of a simplified approach based on empirical relations which could be more easily used in the engine design phase.
Numerical Investigation of Transcritical Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Channels / Pizzarelli, Marco; Nasuti, Francesco; Onofri, Marcello. - ELETTRONICO. - (2009), pp. 1-9. (Intervento presentato al convegno 3rd European Conference for Aero-Space Sciencies (EUCASS) tenutosi a Versailles, Francia nel 6-9 luglio 2009).
Numerical Investigation of Transcritical Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Channels
PIZZARELLI, MARCO;NASUTI, Francesco;ONOFRI, Marcello
2009
Abstract
Modeling the coolant flow in regeneratively cooled rocket engines is a challenging task because of high wall temperature gradients, high Reynolds number and 3D-geometry of the passages. In case of methane as coolant, a further complication is the trans-critical operating condition of the fluid,which can greatly influence the coolant flow field and heat transfer. In the present paper a 3D Navier-Stokes solver for real gas is first validated for trans-critical hydrogen flows, then it is used to study the 3D flow fields of transcritical methane flow in rectangular cross section cooling channels. Finally, the results obtained for a reference straight channel flow are compared with those of a simplified approach based on empirical relations which could be more easily used in the engine design phase.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.