Computational fluid dynamic analysis of hybrid rocket combustor flowfields

Computational fluid dynamic analyses of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with solid-phase pyrolysis, gas-phase combustion, turbulence and radiation are performed to study hybrid rocket combustor flowfields. The computational study is closely co-ordinated with a companion experimental program using a planar slab burner configuration with HTPB as fuel and gaseous oxygen. Computational predictions agree reasonably well with measurement data of fuel regression rates and surface temperatures. Additionally, most of the parametric trends predicted by the model are in general agreement with experimental trends. The computational model is applied to extend the results from the lab-scale to a full-scale axisymmetric configuration. The numerical predictions indicate that the full-scale configuration burns at a slower rate than the lab-scale combustor under identical specific flow rate conditions. The results demonstrate that detailed CFD analyses can play a useful role in the design of hybrid combustors.