Experimental Study of Methane Heat Transfer Deterioration in a Subscale Combustion Chamber

Abstract

Methane has many possible advantages as a fuel for reusable rocket engines and is therefore extensively discussed. However, the characteristics of methane as a coolant in a regenerative cooling system are widely unknown. Especially the heat transfer deterioration that occurs in the vicinity of the critical point is a major concern and a severe drawback. To investigate this phenomenon and to establish a broad data basis for the validation of numerical simulations, tests were performed with a subscale combustion chamber. The combustion chamber contains different cooling channel geometries (rectangular cooling channels with the aspect ratios [height-to-width ratio]: 1.7, 3.5, 9.2, and 30) and was cooled with cryogenic methane. Results close to the critical point show a distinct maximum in hot gas wall temperature, which is a clear evidence of heat transfer deterioration. The test results indicate a strong dependency on the occurrence of this effect toward cooling channels with a low aspect ratio.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Processes in Rocket Engine Cooling Channels Operated with Cryogenic Hydrogen and Methane at Supercritical Conditions

“…20,21) These temperature values can be used to numerically recalculate the thermal field with an inverse temperature method. 5,6,9,13,20) The boundary conditions for this method are…”

“…This method is described in more detail in. 5,6,13) The inverse method provides a linear heat flux distribution at the hot gas side that is used as a boundary condition for the numerical simulations. Comparison between inverse method and common calorimetric method shows satisfactory small deviations.…”

“…The local reduction of heat transfer coefficient due to this effect is called heat transfer deterioration and is a major concern regarding methane as coolant. 6,14,22) To study both effects, thermal stratification and heat transfer deterioration, experiments were conducted with a subscale research combustion chamber.…”

Heat Transfer Prediction for Methane in Regenerative Cooling Channels with Neural Networks

“…Correction factors and quasi-two-dimensional models have been developed [16], but only full three-dimensional CFD calculations achieve convincing accuracy. Many papers have been published on CFD simulations for supercritical methane flowing in rocket engine cooling channels [17][18][19] and CFD results were compared with experimental data [20,21]. The main disadvantage of CFD simulations is that they are not suitable for design optimization, design space exploration, and sensitivity analysis due to their large calculation effort.…”

ارزیابی شروع و کنترل پدیده‌ی افت انتقال حرارت متان گذربحرانی درون کانال مستطیل شکل

“…Q[ pt=W p=kDv= X=wN "Ov=xOW G= QNDU= OwHwt |v=QL@jwi |}=Hx@=H CQ= QL p=kDv= |OOa |R=Ux}@W =@ ' [9] u= Q=mty w nv=w =@ R}v w Cvwri \UwD |wQ}=O |}xrwruwQO n-decane u@ QmwQO}y CNwU |wQ V}=Ri= xm OvO=O u=Wv 'HTD \}=QW QO |v=QL@ |DQ=QL Q=W |= Q@ |}x]@=Q |xaUwD x@ ' [10] u= Q=mty w w}r "OwW|t CQ= QL p=kDv= Ci= hPL w Vy=m Ea=@ Q=Wi uwQO China RP-3aviation kerosene CNwU CQ= QL p=kDv= |OOa p}rLD R= |W=v CQ= QL p=kDv= Ci= xm xOW u=}@ j}kLD u}= QO "Ov=xDN=OQB |wQ}=O |r=v=m ' [11] |rQ=R}B "CU= sm u=}QH |@O MQv QO X=wN |a=aW Q}}eD w |Uv=} w@ ? }mQD |OOa CQwY x@ = Q |wQ}=O |r=v=muwQO |v=QL@jwi u=Dt |}=Hx@=H CQ= QL p=kDv= R= Q_vhQY 'CQ= QL p=kDv= Ci= RwQ@ \}=QW QO CrU=v |= Q@ |}x]@=Q w |R=Ux}@W |OOa |R=Ux}@W x@ ' [12] [13] u= Q=mty w |=J "CU= xOW O=yvW}B Q=Wi w QO "Ov=xOQm |UQQ@ = Q |wQ}=O w |Owta |}xrwr QO |v=QL@ |L=wv l}ORv 2 |v=QL@jwi O=H}= pt=a '|DQ= QL Q=W uOw@ q=@ CQwY QO |Uv=} w@ |wQ}v xm xOW =aO= xr=kt u}= |QDt= Q=B |xar=]t Qw_vt x@ ' [14] V=m= QB w uwQ; "CU= |wQ}=O |xrwr QO HTD |v=QL@jwi u=Dt CQ= QL p=kDv= '|r}]DUt |Q=mlvN |=yp=v=m QO HTD xO}OB |t}y=Q@= "Ov=xOQm |UQQ@ hrDNt |DQ=QL Q=W w |Q_vt C@Uv =@ |}=yp=v=m QO = Q QO Ov@ty CQ= QL p=kDv= |v=QL@ |=yx@vH |OOa |xar=]t =@ [16 w 15] [11] |rQ=R}B w [86] [17] Qo}O |}xar=]t QO "OwW|t xOy=Wt =yxO=O QO Ci}W \ki w xDW=O HTD`wQW |v}@V}B QO [7] [31 w 9 '6 '3] Ov= xDN=OQB HTD Q@ 'C=k}kLD u}= u=}t QO "OQ=O |oDU@ xOvvmlvN p=}U |OwQw |=tO w Q=Wi x@ Q}F -=D x@ '|wQ}=O p=v=m uwQO u=Dt |R=Ux}@W |OOa G}=Dv R= xO=iDU= =@ [6] [9] "CU= xOWv h} QaD K[=w Qw] x@ Qo}O Cq=kt QO HTD`wQW ' [86] |DwU=v =@ ' [8 w 7] |Oa@wO CQwY x@ |wQ}=O p=v=m uwQO u=Dt |R=Ux}@W =@ |DwU=v w wv=@ Qw} |= Q@ |]@=wQ ' """p=kDv= Ci= |xO}OB pQDvm w`wQW |@=} RQ= ow", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer,…”