Peregrinations around rocket engine ignition

11 juillet 2017 à 11h dans l'amphi du LMA (technopôle de Château Gombert)

Pierre BOIVIN

chargé de recherche équipe TONIC

Abstract:

Recent advances on modelling methods for flows that are both multiphase and reactive will be discussed. In cryogenic rocket engines, liquid oxygen is injected straight into the combustion chamber. The liquid jet is consequently strongly destabilised and atomised, before evaporating and burning with the surrounding hydrogen. Today, the processes corresponding to the liquid jet destabilization and to the combustion are tackled separately, without an appropriate coupling: no flow model has the capability of modelling both the multiphase and reactive aspects. Yet, it is admitted that injection, evaporation and combustion of the oxygen are strongly coupled: the heat released from the flame modifies the dynamics of the jet (especially by accelerating the phase-change), and, reciprocally, the liquid jet dynamics will dictate the flame position, and therefore the overall combustion characteristics.