Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Characterisation of acoustic energy content in an experimental combustion chamber with and without external forcing

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
CEAS Space Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The influence of injection conditions on rocket engine combustion stability is investigated for a sub-scale combustion chamber with shear coaxial injection elements and the propellant combination hydrogen–oxygen. The experimental results presented are from a series of tests conducted at subcritical and supercritical pressures for oxygen and for both ambient and cryogenic temperature hydrogen. The stability of the system is characterised by the root mean squared amplitude of dynamic combustion chamber pressure in the upper part of the acoustic spectrum relevant for high frequency combustion instabilities. Results are presented for both unforced and externally forced combustion chamber configurations. It was found that, for both the unforced and externally forced configurations, the injection velocity had the strongest influence on combustion chamber stability. Through the use of multivariate linear regression the influence of hydrogen injection temperature and hydrogen injection mass flow rate were best able to explain the variance in stability for dependence on injection velocity ratio. For unforced tests turbulent jet noise from injection was found to dominate the energy content of the signal. For the externally forced configuration a non-linear regression model was better able to predict the variance, suggesting the influence of non-linear behaviour. The response of the system to variation of injection conditions was found to be small; suggesting that the combustion chamber investigated in the experiment is highly stable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BKH:

Combustor H

H2 :

Hydrogen

O2 :

Oxygen

RMS:

Root mean squared

ROF:

Ratio of oxidiser to fuel mass flow rate (M i/M o)

T H :

Hydrogen temperature

VR:

Ratio of injection velocities (U o/U i)

1L:

First longitudinal mode

1T:

First transverse mode

b :

Coefficient of gradient

F:

F-statistic

J :

Momentum flux ratio (ρ o U 2o )/(ρ i U 2i )

Lx:

Length of the combustion chamber

Ly:

Height of the combustion chamber

Lz:

Width of the combustion chamber

P :

Probability

Pcc:

Combustion chamber pressure

P′RMS :

RMS of dynamic chamber pressure

\(R_{\text{adj}}^{2}\) :

Adjusted coefficient of determination

U o :

Velocity outer jet

U i :

Velocity inner jet

∈ c :

Contraction ratio

ρ o :

Density of outer jet

ρ i :

Density of inner jet

References

  1. Harrje, D.T., Reardon, F.H.: Liquid propellant rocket combustion instability. NASA, Washington (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Yang, V., Anderson, W.: Liquid rocket engine combustion instability. AIAA, Washington (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mayer, W., Schik, A., Vielle, B., Chauveau, C., Göklap, I., Talley, D.G., Woodward, R.D.: Atomization and breakup of cryogenic propellants under high-pressure subcritical and supercritical conditions. J. Propuls. Power. 15, 835–842 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Vingert, L., Gicquel, P., Lourme, D., Menoret, L.: Coaxial injector atomization. In: Yang, V., Anderson, W.E. (eds.) Liquid rocket engine combustion instability, pp. 145–189. AIAA, Washington (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wanhainen, J.P., Parish, H.C., Conrad, E.W.: Effect of propellant injection velocity on screech in 20,000-pound hydrogen–oxygen rocket engine. NASA, TN D3373 (1966)

  6. Wanhainen, J.P., Feiler, C., Morgan, J.: Effect of chamber pressure, flow per element and contraction ratio on acoustic-mode instability in hydrogen–oxygen rockets. NASA, TN D4733 (1968)

  7. Wanhainen, J.P., Hannum, N., Russell, L.: Evaluation of screech suppression concepts in a 20,000-pound thrust-hydrogen–oxygen rocket. NASA, TM X1435 (1967)

  8. Wanhainen, J.P. Morgan, C.: Effect of injection element radial distribution and chamber geometry on acoustic-mode instability in a hydrogen oxygen rocket. NASA, TN D5375 (1969)

  9. Hannum, N., Herbert, E.: The effect of several injector face baffle configurations on screech in a 20,000-pound thrust hydrogen–oxygen rocket. NASA TM X52251 (1966)

  10. Hannum, N., Conrad, E.: Performance and screech characteristics of a series of 2,500-pound-thrust-per-element injectors for a liquid-oxygen–hydrogen rocket engine. NASA TM X1253 (1966)

  11. Hannum, N. Conrad, E.: Some injector element detail effects on screech in hydrogen–oxygen rockets. NASA, TM X52363 (1967)

  12. Conrad, E., Bloomer, H., Wanhainen, J., David, W.: Interim summary of liquid rocket acoustic-mode-instability studies at a nominal thrust of 20,000 pounds. NASA TN D4968 (1968)

  13. Davis, D., Chehroudi, B.: Shear-coaxial jets from a rocket-like injector in a transverse acoustic field at high pressures. In: 44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nevada (2006)

  14. Davis, D., Chehroudi, B.: Measurements in an acoustically driven coaxial jet under sub-, near-, and supercritical conditions. J. Propuls. Power 23, 364–374 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chehroudi, B.: A unified approach on combustion instability in cryogenic liquid rockets. In: 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Orlando, Florida (2009)

  16. Vuillot, F., Kuentzmann, P.: Flow turning and admittance correction: an experimental comparison. J. Propuls. 2, 345–354 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lecourt, R., Foucaud, R.: Experiments on stability of liquid propellant rocket motors. In: 23rd AIAA/SAE/ASME/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, San Diego, California (1987)

  18. Rey, C., Ducruix, S., Richecoeur, F., Scouflaire, P., Vingert, L., and Candel, S.: High frequency combustion instabilities associated with collective interactions. In: 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2004)

  19. Rey, C., Ducruix, S., Scouflaire, P., Vingert, L., Candel, S.: Experimental analysis of high frequency combustion instabilities associated with collective interactions. In: Proceedings of the PSFVIP-4, Chamonix, France, 3–5 June 2003

  20. Richecoeur, F., Scouflaire, P., Ducruix, S., Candel, S.: High-frequency transverse acoustic coupling in a multiple-injector cryogenic combustor. J. Propuls. Power 22, 790–799 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Hardi, J.S., Oschwald, M., Dally, B.B.: Study of LOX/H2 spray flame response to acoustic excitation in a rectangular rocket combustor. In: 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, San Jose, California, 2013

  22. Heidmann, M.F., Wieber, P.R.: Analysis of frequency response characteristics of propellant vaporization. NASA TN D-3749 (1966)

  23. Hardi, J.: Experimental investigation of high frequency combustion instability in cryogenic oxygen–hydrogen rocket engines. The University of Adelaide, Adelaide (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Jones, B., Lambriris, S.: Summary report on an investigation of combustion instability for liquid oxygen and liquid and cold gas hydrogen propellants. Pratt and Whitney rept PWA-FR.1005 (1964)

  25. Klem, M., Fry, R.: Guidelines for combustion stability specifications and verification procedures for liquid propellant rocket engines. CPIA Publication 655 (1997)

  26. Hardi, J., Oschwald, M., Dally, B.: Acoustic characterisation of a rectangular rocket combustor with liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants. J. Aerospace Eng. 1, 1–11 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Webster, S., Hardi, J., Oschwald, M., Parametric study of injection conditions with co-axial injection of gaseous hydrogen and liquid oxygen. In: Deutscher Luft- und Raumfahrt Kongress, Bremen (2011)

  28. Kutner, M.H., Nachtsheim, C.J., Neter, J., Li, W.: Applied linear statistical models, 5th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rajaram, R., Lieuwen, T.: Acoustic radiation from turbulent premixed flames. J. Fluid Mech. 637, 375–385 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Hardi, J.S., Gomez Martinez, H.C., Oschwald, M., Dally, B.: Lox jet atomization under transverse acoustic oscillations. J. Propuls. Power 30, 337–349 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Hardi, J.S., Beinke, S.K., Oschwald, M., Dally, B.B.: Coupling of cryogenic oxygen–hydrogen flames to longitudinal and transverse acoustic instabilities. J. Propuls Power. 30, 991–1004 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Space Propulsion, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Lampoldshausen, 74239, Hardthausen, Germany

    S. Webster, J. Hardi & M. Oschwald

  2. Institute für Strahlantriebe and Turboarbeitsmachinene Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Raumfahrtantriebe, RWTH, Aachen, Germany

    M. Oschwald

Authors
  1. S. Webster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Hardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Oschwald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Webster.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Webster, S., Hardi, J. & Oschwald, M. Characterisation of acoustic energy content in an experimental combustion chamber with and without external forcing. CEAS Space J 7, 37–51 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-015-0079-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-015-0079-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation