Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths
Firing test campaigns were carried out on a 200 N thrust-class hybrid rocket engine, using gaseous oxygen as an oxidizer and a paraffin-wax-based fuel. Different fuel grain lengths were adopted to extend the fuel characterization under different operating conditions, and to evaluate rocket performan...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | Aerospace |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/6/546 |
| _version_ | 1827739086571438080 |
|---|---|
| author | Daniele Cardillo Francesco Battista Giuseppe Gallo Stefano Mungiguerra Raffaele Savino |
| author_facet | Daniele Cardillo Francesco Battista Giuseppe Gallo Stefano Mungiguerra Raffaele Savino |
| author_sort | Daniele Cardillo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Firing test campaigns were carried out on a 200 N thrust-class hybrid rocket engine, using gaseous oxygen as an oxidizer and a paraffin-wax-based fuel. Different fuel grain lengths were adopted to extend the fuel characterization under different operating conditions, and to evaluate rocket performances and internal ballistics in the different configurations. In addition to data collected under a 220 mm propellant grain length, two further test campaigns were carried out considering 130 mm and 70 mm grain lengths. Two different injector types were adopted in the 130 mm configuration; in particular, a showerhead injection system was used with the aim to contain high-amplitude pressure oscillations observed during some firing tests in this engine configuration. Parameters such as the chamber pressure and temperature inside the graphite nozzle, space-averaged fuel regression rate and nozzle throat diameter were measured. The results allowed for the investigation of different issues related to hybrid rockets (e.g., fuel regression rate, engine performance, nozzle ablation under different conditions). The focus was mainly directed to the nozzle heat transfer, through the reconstruction of the convective heat transfer coefficient for different tests in the 70 mm grain length engine configuration. The reconstruction took advantage of the experimental data provided by the nozzle embedded thermocouple. Then, the experimental convective heat transfer coefficient was used to validate the results from some empirical correlations. The results showed significant differences between the experimental convective heat transfer coefficients when considering tests with different oxidizer mass flow rates. Furthermore, the predictions from the empirical correlations proved to be more reliable only in cases characterized by oxidizer-rich conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:53:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b74c8e2724e3489a9648deb4b71c801d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-4310 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:53:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerospace |
| spelling | doaj.art-b74c8e2724e3489a9648deb4b71c801d2023-11-18T08:50:07ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102023-06-0110654610.3390/aerospace10060546Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain LengthsDaniele Cardillo0Francesco Battista1Giuseppe Gallo2Stefano Mungiguerra3Raffaele Savino4Space Propulsion Unit, Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Via Maiorise, 81043 Capua, ItalySpace Propulsion Unit, Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Via Maiorise, 81043 Capua, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical and Space Engineering, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0808, JapanDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Aerospace Division, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Aerospace Division, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, ItalyFiring test campaigns were carried out on a 200 N thrust-class hybrid rocket engine, using gaseous oxygen as an oxidizer and a paraffin-wax-based fuel. Different fuel grain lengths were adopted to extend the fuel characterization under different operating conditions, and to evaluate rocket performances and internal ballistics in the different configurations. In addition to data collected under a 220 mm propellant grain length, two further test campaigns were carried out considering 130 mm and 70 mm grain lengths. Two different injector types were adopted in the 130 mm configuration; in particular, a showerhead injection system was used with the aim to contain high-amplitude pressure oscillations observed during some firing tests in this engine configuration. Parameters such as the chamber pressure and temperature inside the graphite nozzle, space-averaged fuel regression rate and nozzle throat diameter were measured. The results allowed for the investigation of different issues related to hybrid rockets (e.g., fuel regression rate, engine performance, nozzle ablation under different conditions). The focus was mainly directed to the nozzle heat transfer, through the reconstruction of the convective heat transfer coefficient for different tests in the 70 mm grain length engine configuration. The reconstruction took advantage of the experimental data provided by the nozzle embedded thermocouple. Then, the experimental convective heat transfer coefficient was used to validate the results from some empirical correlations. The results showed significant differences between the experimental convective heat transfer coefficients when considering tests with different oxidizer mass flow rates. Furthermore, the predictions from the empirical correlations proved to be more reliable only in cases characterized by oxidizer-rich conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/6/546hybrid rocket engineparaffinhigh fuel regression ratetestingnozzle heat transfer |
| spellingShingle | Daniele Cardillo Francesco Battista Giuseppe Gallo Stefano Mungiguerra Raffaele Savino Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths Aerospace hybrid rocket engine paraffin high fuel regression rate testing nozzle heat transfer |
| title | Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths |
| title_full | Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths |
| title_fullStr | Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths |
| title_short | Experimental Firing Test Campaign and Nozzle Heat Transfer Reconstruction in a 200 N Hybrid Rocket Engine with Different Paraffin-Based Fuel Grain Lengths |
| title_sort | experimental firing test campaign and nozzle heat transfer reconstruction in a 200 n hybrid rocket engine with different paraffin based fuel grain lengths |
| topic | hybrid rocket engine paraffin high fuel regression rate testing nozzle heat transfer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/6/546 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielecardillo experimentalfiringtestcampaignandnozzleheattransferreconstructionina200nhybridrocketenginewithdifferentparaffinbasedfuelgrainlengths AT francescobattista experimentalfiringtestcampaignandnozzleheattransferreconstructionina200nhybridrocketenginewithdifferentparaffinbasedfuelgrainlengths AT giuseppegallo experimentalfiringtestcampaignandnozzleheattransferreconstructionina200nhybridrocketenginewithdifferentparaffinbasedfuelgrainlengths AT stefanomungiguerra experimentalfiringtestcampaignandnozzleheattransferreconstructionina200nhybridrocketenginewithdifferentparaffinbasedfuelgrainlengths AT raffaelesavino experimentalfiringtestcampaignandnozzleheattransferreconstructionina200nhybridrocketenginewithdifferentparaffinbasedfuelgrainlengths |