Fluid–structure interaction study of the start-up of a rocket engine nozzle

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe aim of this paper is to analyze the aeroelastic processes developed during the starting phase of a rocket engine via a coupling fluid/structure code. This analysis gives a better understanding of the behavior of the structure as the shock waves propagate inside the engine nozzle. The gasdynamics Euler equations are solved for the fluid and constitutive linear elastic solid assuming large displacements and rotations with no material damping is adopted for the structure. The coupling of each subproblem is carried out with a Gauß-Seidel algorithm over the fluid and structure states. For the fluid problem an ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) formulation is used. It allows us to define a reference system following the moving boundaries while the structure is deformed. The code is validated with a study of the flutter phenomena that may occur when a supersonic compressible fluid flows over a flat solid plate. Regarding the rocket engine ignition problem, a modal analysis of the structure is performed in order to analyze the eigenfrequency shifts when considering the coupling with the fluid flow.

A cut-cell finite volume – finite element coupling approach for fluid–structure interaction in compressible flow

“…Compressible fluid-structure interaction (FSI) occurs in a broad range of technical applications involving, e.g., nonlinear aeroelasticity [16,42] and shock-induced deformations of rocket nozzles [23,55]. The numerical modeling and simulation of compressible FSI can be challenging, in particular if an accurate representation of the structural interface within the fluid solver and a consistent coupling of both subdomains is required.…”

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of a vertical axis tidal turbine using the two-way fluid structure interaction approach

“…For a wind turbine, FSI scheme was used by Kim and Kim (2006). In the field of aerospace, FSI theory was used by Garelli et al (2010) for rocket engine nozzle and for aerofoil by Ramji and Wei (2004). Recently, Jo et al (2012) conducted the loosely coupled method to compute the deformation in pile structure of a wind turbine.…”

Frequency dependency of side loads resulting from shock motion in a forced oscillating rocket nozzle

“…Moreover, its application to the stability of rocket engines has rarely been studied [8,9,12]. In an industrial context, the only model currently used to predict static instability and frequency shifting in an overexpanded flow through a nozzle is the Pekkari's stability model [9].…”