Heat Transfer Analysis and Thermal Structure Design of RBCC Engines

Abstract

RBCC (rocket-based combined cycle) engine has several operation modes (ejector mode, ramjet mode, scramjet mode and sometimes pure rocket mode) in the whole flight course. In different mode, inner flow field is different and also there are big differences of heat transfer characteristics. These characteristics make it difficult to design thermal structure. In this full paper, source term method is raised to simulate combustion without solving ingredient equations. Base on source term method, CFD technology is used to forecast strut and main flow path thermal environment when RBCC engine works on each operation mode. Wall heat flux is gotten by the simulation. According to the results of forecast, a thermal structure scheme of composite structure based on CMC materials is raised. Mathematical models about designing the thermal structure are established and solved. Temperature distribution of each structure layer is gotten, and results have proved the feasibility about this thermal structure. All of these works establish a base to make RBCC engines reusable finally.