Numerical Simulation of a GH₂/LOx Single Injector Combustor and the Effect of the Turbulent Schmidt Number

Abstract

A large-eddy simulation (LES) of a gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen (GH2/LOX) single-injector rocket combustor is performed in this study. The Redlich–Kwong–Peng–Robinson (RK–PR) equation of state is used to simulate the real-gas effect under high-pressure conditions, and the steady laminar flamelet model (SLFM) is implemented to simulate fast chemistry, such as a H2/O2 reaction. From the numerical simulation, the characteristics of time-averaged flow and flame fields are obtained, and their relationship with the real-gas effect is investigated. It is possible to investigate unsteady flame features and the mixing mechanism of propellants in detail by examining multiple snapshots of the field contour. Another purpose of the study is to investigate the differences in flow and flame structures according to the variation in the turbulent Schmidt number. By comparing the simulation result with the natural OH* emission image and temperature profiles from experimental data, the appropriate range of the turbulent Schmidt number for the simulation is obtained. Furthermore, this paper suggests the usefulness and validity of the current research by quantitatively comparing (i.e., temperature profiles) numerical results with those of existing literature.

Keywords

• large-eddy simulation (LES)
• RCM-3 combustor
• Redlich–Kwong–Peng-Robinson equation of state
• steady laminar flamelet model
• turbulent Schmidt number