Experimental Investigation of Transient Injection Phenomena in Rocket Combusters at Vacuum with Cryogenic Flash Boiling

Abstract

The substitution of the toxic hydrazine in current high-altitude rocket engines like upper stages or reaction control thrusters by green propellants is a major key driver in the current technology development of rocket propulsion systems. Operating these kind of rocket engines at high-altitude leads to a sudden pressure drop in the liquid propellants during their injection into the combustion chamber with a near-vacuum atmosphere prior to ignition. The resulting superheated thermodynamic state of the liquid causes a fast and eruptive evaporation which is called flash boiling. The degree of atomisation is important for a successful ignition and a secure operation of the rocket engine. The development and operation of a cryogenic high-altitude test bench at DLR Lampoldshausen enables the systematical experimental characterization of cryogenic flash boiling due to its ability to adjust and control the injection parameters like temperature, pressure or geometry. Several test campaigns with liquid nitrogen (LN2) were performed using two optical diagnostic methods: First, flash boiling LN2 spray patterns were visualised by means of high-speed shadowgraphy and, secondly, we determined the droplet size and velocity distributions in strongly superheated LN2 sprays with the help of a laser-based Phase Doppler system (PDA). The experimental data generated within these measurement campaigns provide defined boundary conditions as well as a broad data base for the numerical modelling of cryogenic flash boiling like e.g. the publications [8, 9].