A new concept for the low speed propulsion mode in rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) engines has been developed as part of the NASA GTX program. This concept, called the independent ramjet stream (IRS) cycle, is a variation of the traditional ejector ramjet (ER) design and involves the injection of hydrogen fuel directly into the air stream, where it is ignited by the rocket plume. Experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are currently being used to evaluate the feasibility of the new design. In this work, a Navier-Stokes code valid for general reactive flows is applied to the model engine under cold flow, ejector ramjet, and IRS cycle operation. Pressure distributions corresponding to cold-flow and ejector ramjet operation are compared with experimental data. The engine response under independent ramjet stream cycle operation is examined for different reaction models and grid sizes. The engine response to variations in fuel injection is also examined. Mode transition simulations are also analyzed both with and without a nitrogen purge of the rocket. The solutions exhibit a high sensitivity to both grid resolution and reaction mechanism, but they do indicate that thermal throat ramjet operation is possible through the injection and burning of additional fuel into the air stream. The solutions also indicate that variations in fuel injection location can affect the position of the thermal throat. The numerical simulations predicted successful mode transition both with and without a nitrogen purge of the rocket; however, the reliability of the mode transition results cannot be established without experimental data to validate the reaction mechanism.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-08132003-171258 |
| Date | 18 August 2003 |
| Creators | Bond, Ryan Bomar |
| Contributors | Dr. Jack R. Edwards, Dr. D. Scott McRae, Dr. Hassan A. Hassan, Dr. C. Timothy Kelley |
| Publisher | NCSU |
| Source Sets | North Carolina State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-08132003-171258/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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