Mixing in a Novel Rocket Engine

Abstract

A novel rocket engine concept, based on a transverse combustor design, is explored and modeled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The design utilizes both Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to simulate the flows of fuel and oxidizer pairs over a simple cylindrical combustion chamber geometry. Two nozzles, positioned radially along the upstream end of the cylinder, serve as inlets for the fuel and oxidizer reactants. Mixing is achieved by a pair of large, counter-rotating vortices. The mixing behavior is analyzed, both spatially and temporally, across transverse cross sections along the characteristic length of the chamber. Cylinder lengths are varied to optimize the cavity, aiming for near-perfect mixing. The determination of regions where near perfect mixing occurs informs the design configurations of the transverse rocket engine chamber by optimizing the cavity length. This configuration is anticipated to be more cost effective to manufacture, lighter, and more reliable than existing designs.