Computational fluid dynamics is becoming a key tool for reducing the hybrid rocket operation uncertainties and development cost, but numerous challenges, due to the complexity of modeling the solid fuel consumption mechanism and the interaction with the reacting flowfield, have still to be addressed. These latter features are further complicated with paraffins for the melted-fuel entrainment phenomenon. This paper presents a computational thermo-fluid-dynamic model of the internal ballistics of hybrid rockets burning gaseous oxygen and paraffin-based fuel. With the purpose of predicting the local fuel regression rate, the model is coupled with an improved gas/fuel-surface interface treatment based on local mass, energy and mean mixture fraction balances, combined to an additional analytical equation for the calculation of the entrainment fraction of the fuel consumption rate. Parametric analyses are carried out to assess the effect of fuel properties on the regression rate. Several experimental test cases, obtained from static firing of a laboratory-scale rocket, are simulated. Calculated regression rates show an error with respect to the measured data around 10% in the worst case. Chamber pressure is predicted with lower accuracy, with errors less than 20%; the main factor of deviation is shown to be the estimation of the combustion efficiency.
Computational fluid-dynamic modeling of the internal ballistics of paraffin-fueled hybrid rocket / DI MARTINO, GIUSEPPE DANIELE; Mungiguerra, Stefano; Carmicino, Carmine; Savino, R.. - In: AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. - ISSN 1270-9638. - 89:(2019), pp. 431-444. [10.1016/j.ast.2019.04.019]
Computational fluid-dynamic modeling of the internal ballistics of paraffin-fueled hybrid rocket
Di Martino Giuseppe Daniele;Mungiguerra Stefano;Carmicino;Savino R.
2019
Abstract
Computational fluid dynamics is becoming a key tool for reducing the hybrid rocket operation uncertainties and development cost, but numerous challenges, due to the complexity of modeling the solid fuel consumption mechanism and the interaction with the reacting flowfield, have still to be addressed. These latter features are further complicated with paraffins for the melted-fuel entrainment phenomenon. This paper presents a computational thermo-fluid-dynamic model of the internal ballistics of hybrid rockets burning gaseous oxygen and paraffin-based fuel. With the purpose of predicting the local fuel regression rate, the model is coupled with an improved gas/fuel-surface interface treatment based on local mass, energy and mean mixture fraction balances, combined to an additional analytical equation for the calculation of the entrainment fraction of the fuel consumption rate. Parametric analyses are carried out to assess the effect of fuel properties on the regression rate. Several experimental test cases, obtained from static firing of a laboratory-scale rocket, are simulated. Calculated regression rates show an error with respect to the measured data around 10% in the worst case. Chamber pressure is predicted with lower accuracy, with errors less than 20%; the main factor of deviation is shown to be the estimation of the combustion efficiency.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
