On computation of solid fuel regression rate in ramjet combustor

Abstract

Development of a solid fuel ramjets requires mathematical modeling of the solid fuel regression inside a combustor with accounting of solid fuel gasification and combustion processes and a numerical method to calculate parameters of these processes. This report presents a quasi-one-dimensional model of processes inside the solid fuel ramjet combustor. The model allows to calculate the solid fuel regression rate and gas flow parameters at the combustor outlet while air flow parameters at the combustor inlet are fixed. The model is based on mass, energy, species and momentum conservation equations and deals with thermochemical processes inside the ramjet combustor. It considers gas flow inside the combustor, gasified fuel combustion, convective heat transfer, solid fuel pyrolysis kinetics. The model is verified by comparison of the numerical results with the experimental data available from other authors. The analysis of the numerical results shows a dependence of the flow structure and thermochemical parameters of a solid fuel employed on the regression rate.