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Liquid Oxygen Cooling of Hydrocarbon Fueled Rocket Thrust ChambersRocket engines using liquid oxygen (LOX) and hydrocarbon fuel as the propellants are being given serious consideration for future launch vehicle propulsion. Normally, the fuel is used to regeneratively cool the combustion chamber. However, hydrocarbons such as RP-1 are limited in their cooling capability. Another possibility for the coolant is the liquid oxygen. Combustion chambers previously tested with LOX and RP-1 as propellants and LOX as the collant demonstrated the feasibility of using liquid oxygen as a coolant up to a chamber pressure of 13.8 MPa (2000 psia). However, there was concern as to the effect on the integrity of the chamber liner if oxygen leaks into the combustion zone through fatigue cracks that may develop between the cooling passages and the hot gas side wall. In order to study this effect, chambers were fabricated with slots machined upstream of the throat between the cooling passage wall and the hot gas side wall to simulate cracks. The chambers were tested at a nominal chamber pressure of 8.6 MPa (1247 psia) over a range of mixture ratios from 1.9 to 3.1 using liquid oxygen as the coolant. The results of the testing showed that the leaking LOX did not have a deleterious effect on the chambers in the region of the slots. However, there was unexplained melting in the throat region of both chambers, but not in line with the slots.
Document ID
19890015076
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Armstrong, Elizabeth S.
(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1989
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.15:102113
AIAA PAPER 89-2739
E-4886
NASA-TM-102113
Meeting Information
Meeting: Joint Propulsion Conference
Location: Monterey, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: July 10, 1989
End Date: July 12, 1989
Sponsors: ASME, ASEE, AIAA, SAE
Accession Number
89N24447
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 582-01-21
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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