Numerical study on throttling characteristics of RBCC engines in ejector mode

Abstract

Investigating the throttling characteristics of Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engines in ejector mode is crucial for adapting to varied flight mission demands. This study employs validated RANS numerical methods to investigate throttling effects on an experimental kerosene-fueled RBCC engine under two representative flight conditions: ground take-off (Mach 0) and supersonic flight (Mach 2.0). Results indicate that, at Mach 0, throttling reduces the entrained secondary stream and increases mixing efficiency, but exacerbates mixing losses, which cannot be offset by the thrust produced by the secondary stream due to its weak working capacity. Therefore, specific impulse performance deteriorates during throttling. Moreover, the optimum mixture ratio remains at 2.4, consistent with conventional rockets. Conversely, at Mach 2.0, throttling mitigates the primary stream’s squeezing effect to augment the entrained secondary stream. Simultaneously, throttling enhances mixing efficiency to improve the utilization of residual fuel. Consequently, the optimum mixture ratio shifts from 2.4 to below 1.4, which contributes to harnessing the work capacity of the secondary stream generated by ram effects, and significantly improves specific impulse performance. This study emphasizes the distinct throttling characteristics at different Mach numbers and provides pivotal insights for developing more efficient RBCC engines in ejector mode.