Flow field explorations and design improvements of a hybrid rocket motor LOx feed line

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dc.contributor.authorRajendran, David John
dc.contributor.authorSanthanakrishnan, Mani
dc.contributor.authorPachidis, Vassilios
dc.contributor.authorMessineo, Jerome
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-21T14:02:29Z
dc.date.available2024-10-21T14:02:29Z
dc.date.freetoread2024-10-21
dc.date.issued2024-12
dc.date.pubOnline2024-09-17
dc.description.abstractThe oxidizer system in a hybrid rocket motor needs to deliver the flow from a pressurized storage tank to multiple combustor ports. Pressure losses in the oxidizer system directly impacts combustor pressure and consequently the vehicle performance. However, oxidizer feed line designs till date have been done using simple 1D tools. Higher fidelity flow analysis methods have not been reported in the literature to identify loss generating features. Therefore, a design improvement study was carried out to identify and alleviate the impact of undesirable flow features in a typical oxidizer system design. An experimentally calibrated 3D RANS approach is applied to a typical LOx feed system which includes steps, splitters, ports, and pipes with multiple bends. These design features result in varying degrees of flow separation, secondary flows and vortical flow features and result in total pressure losses of up to 7 %. This loss means that the storage tank needs to be pressurized further to accommodate such losses and ensure combustor performance. A targeted design improvement approach that features simple, alternative, implementable solutions in the loss-generating regions is discussed. The best of these design improvements can reduce the total pressure loss to 4 %, indicating a 43 % reduction in the losses and reduced impact on storage tank design and combustor performance. Therefore, this paper demonstrates that a higher fidelity design enhancement process of the oxidizer feed system, which is often neglected in such detailed studies, can result in overall vehicle level design improvements to ensure mission targets are met effectively.
dc.description.journalNameActa Astronautica
dc.description.sponsorshipThe work was funded by UK Space Agency by grant P20491 of the LaunchUK Technology Investment program.
dc.format.extent273-284
dc.identifier.citationRajendran DJ, Santhanakrishnan M, Pachidis V, Messineo J. (2024) Flow field explorations and design improvements of a hybrid rocket motor LOx feed line. Acta Astronautica, Volume 225, December 2024, pp. 273-284
dc.identifier.eissn1879-2030
dc.identifier.elementsID553287
dc.identifier.issn0094-5765
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.09.023
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/23084
dc.identifier.volumeNo225
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576524005253?via%3Dihub
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectLiquid oxygen
dc.subjectFlow shear stress rates
dc.subjectVorticity
dc.subjectTotal pressure loss
dc.subjectStream tube
dc.subjectDesign exploration
dc.subject40 Engineering
dc.subject4001 Aerospace Engineering
dc.subjectAerospace & Aeronautics
dc.subject4001 Aerospace engineering
dc.titleFlow field explorations and design improvements of a hybrid rocket motor LOx feed line
dc.typeArticle
dc.type.subtypeJournal Article
dcterms.dateAccepted2024-09-08

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