1D Numerical Simulations Aimed to Reproduce the Operative Conditions of a \(LOX/LCH_{4}\) Engine Demonstrator

Abstract

The utilization of liquid oxygen/liquid methane couple (\(LOX/LCH_4\)) as a potential candidate to substitute hypergolic propellants and hydrazine in the next future propulsion systems has arisen an increasing interest due to the advantages offered in terms of low environmental impact, re-usability, cooling capabilities and relatively high specific impulse (Schuff et al. in Integrated modeling and analysis for a lox/methane expander cycle engine: Focusing on regenerative cooling jacket design, p. 4534, 2006 ). In this perspective, the Italian Aerospace Research Center manages the “HYPROB” research program, cofunded by the Italian Research and University Ministry, that has the objective to improve the national capabilities into developing engines, fed by hydrocarbons, that could be successfully applied as propulsion units for third stages of launchers for space exploration. The “HYPROB” program led to the realization of a \(LOX/LCH_4\) engine named “DEMO-0A”, a 30 kN thrust class demonstrator, technologically representative of a regenerative thrust chamber assembly of an expander engine (Ricci et al. in Energies, p. 2190, 2022). The present paper describes the results of the numerical simulations performed by means of the EcosimPro software, aimed at reproducing the operative conditions, both cold flow and firing, of the regenerative thrust chamber “DEMO-0A”. An assessment of the capabilities of the software in predicting the behaviour of the demonstrator by modelling it with a 1-D approach and by considering different wall heat exchange semiempirical correlations has been done by comparing numerical results and the available experimental data gathered during both cold flow both firing test campaigns.