A regenerative cooling system for the chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine with interchannel coolant flow through a metal mesh

Abstract

The paper discusses a new method for regenerative cooling of the chamber of liquid-propellant rocket engines using the concept of interchannel coolant flow through a porous metal mesh made by vacuum diffusion welding of woven metal netting. It provides a theoretical rationale for switching from unidimensional (longitudinally channeled) flow to two-dimensional (interchannel) inter-mesh flow coolant through a porous mesh. It provides experimental data for hydraulic resistance and heat exchange in porous metal meshes. Based on the experimental data, a generalized criterial equation was obtained for surface heat release in the paths with interchannel two-dimensional intermesh coolant flow through metal mesh. The paper examines the efficiency of heat exchange in the paths with interchannel coolant flow. Key words: regenerative cooling, interchannel flow; vacuum diffusion technology, metal mesh; hydraulic resistance; heat exchange, heat exchange efficiency.