Abstract
The present analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations are performed to study the flow field in acoustically simulated solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber geometry. The computational solution is carried out for a high Reynolds number and low Mach number internal flows driven by sidewall mass addition in a long chamber with end-wall disturbances. This kind of flow (transient, weakly viscous, and contains vorticity) have several features in common with a turbulent flow field. The numerical study is performed by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations along with the energy equation using the control volume approach based on a staggered grid system. The v2-f turbulence model has been implemented in the current study. A comparison of the SIMPLE and PISO algorithms showed that both algorithms provide identical results, and the computational time using the PISO algorithm is higher by about 6% than the corresponding value of the SIMPLE algorithm. A fair agreement has been obtained between the numerical, analytical, and experimental results. Moreover, the results showed that the complex turbulent internal flow patterns are induced inside the chamber due to the strong interaction of the sidewall injection with the traveling acoustic waves. Such a complex internal structure is shown to be dependent on the piston frequency and sidewall mass flux. The current study, for the first time, emphasizes the acoustic-fluid dynamics interaction mechanism and the accompanying unsteady rotational fields along with the effect of the generated turbulence on the unsteady vorticity and its impact on the real burning rate.
Highlights
E present analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations are performed to study the flow field in acoustically simulated solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber geometry. e computational solution is carried out for a high Reynolds number and low Mach number internal flows driven by sidewall mass addition in a long chamber with end-wall disturbances. is kind of flow have several features in common with a turbulent flow field. e numerical study is performed by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations along with the energy equation using the control volume approach based on a staggered grid system. e v2-f turbulence model has been implemented in the current study
Introduction e flow through porous channels with a sidewall injection and end-wall disturbance is used to mimic the unsteady mass addition due to irregular propellant burning and fluid dynamics in a solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber [1]. e prediction of the complex acoustic, turbulent, and unsteady fluid flow interaction provides rocket designers with the essential characteristics required for the optimum rocket design and operation. erefore, such a complex fluid dynamics problem has received significant attention as in [2]
The case of supersonic flow has been investigated using large eddy simulation technique (LES) by Apte and Yang [10] and Rhea et al [11], the complexity associated with LES makes it less favorable compared to the Reynoldsaveraged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations which are superior especially when the differences in the predicted average quantities are marginal
Summary
Relevant studies in [2, 12] revealed that transient injection from the sidewall in an SRM chamber is the source of acoustic instability and disturbances that propagate with a low axial Mach number (M), high Reynolds number (Re), and mean flow In these studies, the asymptotic analysis which is used to simulate the corrugation that arises from the burning of composite propellants has demonstrated that an interaction between the acoustic transients and the fluid injected from the sidewall causes transverse axial velocity gradients (vorticity) and transverse temperature gradients (heat transfer) to appear with large amplitudes at the sidewalls. The effect of the generated end-wall disturbance on the internal flow in an SRM chamber with a sidewall mass injection is investigated numerically considering the turbulence characteristics of the induced flow.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
