Abstract
Regenerative cooling technologies are recognized as an effective and feasible thermal protection method in liquid oxygen/methane engines. This paper presents a comprehensive review of regenerative cooling applications in engine thrust chambers. The current research on regenerative cooling, including its flow and heat transfer characteristics, is summarized. Additionally, the interrelationships among influential factors, dimensional analysis, transcritical flow and heat transfer mechanisms, as well as heat transfer and pressure drop correlations, are thoroughly examined through numerical simulations and experimental validation. Despite advancements, the cooling capacity of regenerative systems remains insufficient for engines due to the complex operating conditions within thrust chambers and the limited coolant mass flow rate. To mitigate heat transfer deterioration, the paper discusses physical property models, criteria for heat transfer enhancement and deterioration, and predictions based on heat transfer correlations. Furthermore, inconsistencies in descriptions near the pseudo-critical region significantly limit the applicability of existing heat transfer mechanisms and correlations. In light of this, further research is necessary to elucidate heat transfer deterioration mechanisms, cyclic life sensitivity, the combined effects of mini-channel scale and transcritical conditions, and methods to enhance cooling performance. These investigations will lay the groundwork for fundamental research and the development of reusable launch vehicles.
Published Version
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