Development and testing of the solid fuel power plant axisymmetric model applied to regimes of combustion chamber dynamic instability

Olexiy Nikolayev, Inna Bashliy

Abstract


Innovative use of energy resources in deep space planets is a technology that allows a significant increase in space exploration based on the design of rocket power plants, particularly for lunar landing modules using (Lunar Regolith) propellants. Simultaneously, for using such local propellants, effects were found based on the fire test of the developed physical model of the landing module power plant. These effects are characterized by combustion product vortices, thrust oscillations, incomplete combustion or extinction during propellant combustion, as well as the possible development of unstable dynamic processes during combustion product flow in the chamber of a solid-propellant rocket power plant. Unacceptable pressure rise and a sharp increase in the local temperature of combustion products can lead to the strength failure and destruction of the combustion chamber structure of rocket power plants, and transition to a critical operation mode of the rocket power plant. Based on the theoretical determination of the non-stationary process parameters in the test propellant combustion chamber during the combustion product flow, the possibility of implementing this type of working process instability (self-oscillations) in a power plant is shown. The thermodynamic characteristics of a power plant using such a metallized propellant have been numerically determined, and a preliminary analysis of the experimental and calculated acoustic oscillation parameters (thrust, dynamic pressure components, and axial velocity) was performed. The main possible directions of modern research on working process instability in a power plant with propellant obtained from lunar regolith have been determined. The study aims to identify the mechanism of pressure oscillation development in the combustion chamber, analyze and model phenomena associated with propellant ignition (including ignition delay), combustion, and heat transfer, analyze resonant damping in a power plant, develop methods for optimizing the chamber design to reduce the level of pressure oscillation amplitudes, and study the role of aluminum droplets combustion in aluminized propellant in the realization of power plant working process instability.

Keywords


solid propellant power plant; combustion products vortices; fire test; thrust oscillations; working process instability; dynamic pressure components; acoustic oscillations

Full Text:

PDF

References


Schreiner, S., Dominguez, J., Sibille, L., & Hoffman, J. Thermophysical Property Models for Lunar Regolith. Advances in Space Research, 2015. 30 p.

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server. Powdered aluminum and oxygen rocket propellants: Subscale combustion. Available at: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19940017287(accessed 20.02.2025).

Hayne, P., Bandfield, J., Siegler, M., Vasavada, A., Ghent, R., Williams, J.-P., Greenhagen, B., Aharonson, O., Elder, C., Lucey, P., & Paige, D. Global Regolith Thermophysical Properties of the Moon From the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment. The Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, 2017, vol. 122, Iss. 12, рр. 2371-2400.

Liu, Y., Zhang, X., Chen, X., Wang, C., Yu, Y., Jia, Y., & Yao, W. Boosting the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of CUG-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant by Spark Plasma Sintering. Crystals, 2024, no. 14, pp. 1-12.

Belov, G. V., & Trusov, B. G. Software for simulation of thermo-dynamic equilibrium states of combustion fuels. Rocket and space propulsion systems, 2010, pp. 21–22.

Kovalenko N. D. The rocket engine is the final element of the rocket propellant control system. D.: Institute of Technical mechanics NANU and SSAU, 2003. 412 p.

Wei, Sh., Liu, P., & Jin, B. Nonlinear Combustion Instability Analysis of Solid Rocket Motor Based on Experimental Data. International Journal of Aerospace System Engineering, 2015, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 58-61.

Genot, A. Aluminum combustion instabilities: Dimensionless numbers controlling the instability in solid rocket motors. Combustion and Flame, 2021, vol. 232. 11 p.

Yue, S., Liu, L., Liu, H., Jiang, Y., Liu, P., Pang, A., Zhang, G., & Ao, W. Agglomerate Size Evolution in Solid Propellant Combustion under High Pressure. Aerospace, 2023, no. 10. 15 p.

Nikolayev, О. D., Bashliy, І. D., Horyak N. V., & Bondarenko, S. G. Influnce of roughness of fuel power plant chamber at low-frequency self-oscillation of cold working gas. Тechnical Мechanics, 2023, no.3, pp. 3–17.

Nicoud, F., & Ducros, F. Subgrid-scale stress modeling based on the square of the velocity gradient tensor. Flow Turbulence and Combustion, 1999, vol. 62(3), pp. 183–200.

Kohnke, P. Ansys Inc. Theory Manual. Twelfth Edition. Canonsburg: SAS IP, 2001. 1266 p.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/aktt.2025.4sup2.09