Parametric analysis of cooling properties of candidate expander cycle fuels

Flow evolution and heat transfer capability in the cooling system of liquid rocket engines heavily depend on propellant thermophysical properties. Coolant thermophysical property analysis and modeling is therefore important to study the possibility to rely on regenerative cooling system, whose performance is crucial to determine feasibility and convenience of pump-fed liquid rocket cycles of the expander type. Aim of the present study is to compare the behavior of different light hydrocarbons and their mixtures, which could be used as fuels for expander cycle engines. A parametric analysis is carried out by a validated numerical solver comparing temperature increase, pressure loss and heat transfer evolution of the different fuels along the same straight tube and subjected to assigned heat loads. © 2012 by A. Urbano and F. Nasuti.