Heat transfer in rocket engine combustion chambers and nozzles

The complexities of liquid rocket engine heat transfer which involve the injector faceplate and regeneratively and film cooled walls are being investigated by computational analysis. A conjugate heat transfer analysis will be used to describe localized heating phenomena associated with particular injector configurations and coolant channels and film coolant dumps. These components are being analyzed, and the analysis verified with appropriate test data. Finally, the component analysis will be synthesized into an overall flowfield/heat transfer model. The FDNS code is being used to make the component analyses. Particular attention is being given to the representation of the thermodynamic properties of the fluid streams and to the method of combining the detailed models to represent overall heating. Unit flow models of specific coaxial injector elements have been developed and will be described. Film cooling simulations of film coolant flows typical of the subscale Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) being experimentally studied by Pratt and Whitney have been made, and these results will be presented. Other film coolant experiments have also been simulated to verify the CFD heat transfer model being developed. The status of the study and its relevance as a new design tool are covered. Information is given in viewgraph form.