Effects of excess oxidizer coefficient on RBCC engine performance in ejector mode: A theoretical investigation

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of the primary rocket’s excess oxidizer coefficient (EOC) on the performance of a kerosene-fueled rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) engine operating in ejector mode using the diffuser and afterburning (DAB) cycle. Employing complete mixing and chemical equilibrium assumptions, a quasi-one-dimensional model is developed to simulate combustion processes in the primary rocket chamber, mixer, and afterburner. Experimental data and full three-dimensional simulation validate the model’s accuracy. Results indicate that increasing EOC mitigates thermal choking effects at the mixer exit, decreasing mixing and Rayleigh losses, enhancing the entrainment ratio, and providing more oxygen for secondary combustion. However, the gas mixture’s compression ratio and total temperature decrease, rendering secondary combustion more susceptible to thermal choking in a constant cross-sectional afterburner. As the flight Mach number increases from 0.8 to 2.5, the optimum EOC for maximum specific impulse shifts from 0.725 to 2.375. While the optimum EOC for maximum thrust remains consistently around 2.0. The findings underscore the necessity of a higher EOC to fully unlock the DAB cycle’s thrust augmentation potential.