Influence of surface roughness on the heat transfer coefficient of fluids in an additively manufactured supercharger

Abstract

The supercharger is intended for heating a fluid (gaseous helium or gaseous nitrogen) used for the pressurization of fuel tanks of oxidizer and propellant of a rocket engine. The fluid is heated with the generator gas downstream the turbine. A supercharger with increased channel surface roughness was made according to an additive technology. High roughness is one of the features of producing parts by selective laser melting. The article presents a method of calculating the heat transfer of generator gas and nitrogen, as well as the results of heat transfer both with and without account of the surface roughness in the channels of the liquid-propellant engines additively manufactured supercharger. Firing tests were carried out at the research base of NPO Energomash JSC. The calculated and experimental values of the temperature of the working medium at the outlet of the supercharger are compared.

Keywords

• supercharger
• additive technologies
• channel surface roughness
• heat exchange