Verification of numerical solutions for reactive flows in a regeneratively cooled nozzle

Abstract

Studies for a one-dimensional reactive flow in a LOX/LH2-rocket engine nozzle with regenerative cooling system were performed, using the finite volume method, co-located grids and the GCI estimator for the discretization errors evaluation. Five physical models were employed: two one-species ones (with constant and with variable thermophysical properties) and three multi-species ones (frozen, local equilibrium and non-equilibrium flows), for which different chemical schemes were studied. The main results are: GCI can be used for the evaluation of uncertainties related to compressible flows; there are not significant differences between numerical results for six and eight species schemes; the main features of the coolant flow are little influenced by the physical model adopted; the frozen flow model, otherwise, is the preferable one by providing the upper bound for the maximum heat flux and the maximum temperature of the wall, with lower CPU time.