Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5475677 | Energy | 2017 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
In order to understand the combustion stability of a methane (CH4)/oxygen (O2) bipropellant as a next-generation rocket liquid propellant, the combustion stability limits and morphology of gaseous CH4/O2 (GCH4/GO2) coaxial jet flames, among various phases, in a single-element combustor are experimentally studied compared with the gaseous hydrogen/O2 (GH2/GO2) coaxial jet flames. Only the stably attached flame and blowoff regimes are observed for both the GCH4/GO2 and GH2/GO2 flames, showing the flame thickness smaller than the injector lip thickness. Although the combustion stability limits of the GCH4/GO2 flames are narrower than the GH2/GO2 flames, practical use of CH4 in rocket engine applications seems to be acceptable since the fuel-rich CH4/O2 flames show very stabilized and intensified burning. For the GCH4/GO2 flames, the outer flame generated by the recirculating O2 is relatively weak and OHâ is distributed up to the downstream. With increasing O2 injection velocity the length of the GCH4/GO2 flames and the location at the maximum OHâ intensity increase even under turbulent combustion condition, due to the saturated enhancement of CH4-O2 diffusivity and the strong burning of pure O2 near the injector lip. The present results provide a useful database to model combustion of CH4/O2 bipropellants under various phases.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Energy (General)
Authors
Sun Choi, Tae Young Kim, Hee Kyung Kim, In-Seuck Jeung, Jaye Koo, Oh Chae Kwon,