A generalized ejector model was successfully developed for gas ejector design and performance analysis. Previous 1-D analytical models can be derived from this new comprehensive model as particular cases. For the first time, this model shows the relationship between the cosntant-pressure and constant-area 1-D ejector models. The new model extends existing models and provides a high level of confidence in the understanding of ejector mechanics. “Off-design” operating conditions, such as the shock occurring in the primary stream, are included in the generalized ejector model. Additionally, this model has been applied to two-phase systems including the gas-liquid ejector designed for a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system. The equations of the constant-pressure and constant-area models were verified. A parametric study was performed on these widely adopted 1-D analytical ejector models. FLUENT, commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, was used to model gas ejectors. To validate the CFD simulation, the numerical predictions were compared to test data and good agreement was found between them. Based on this benchmark, FLUENT was applied to design ejectors with optimal geometry configurations.

A parametrical study is performed of coolant dump gas ejectors for a sandwich rocket nozzle design. Five geometrical variations are simulated in four ambient conditions (static, subsonic, supersonic, vacuum) using an in-house CFD solver. The test cases are compared with a baseline case and the resulting thrust and ISP are evaluated on a local and global level. A longer dump wall is found to give the best performance in all ambient cases, with a second possibility of reducing the circumference of the nozzle end stiffener. The possibility of post-ejection coolant gas combustion is encountered for high ambient pressure, high subsonic velocity flight.