Numerical Study on the Design of an Anti-Backflow Injector for Combustion Chambers

Jie Yang, Zhengpeng Chen, Guangyu Li, Xue Geng, Bo Yuan () and Yong Chen ()
Additional contact information
Jie Yang: Chengdu Fluid Dynamics Innovation Center, Chengdu 610071, China
Zhengpeng Chen: Chengdu Fluid Dynamics Innovation Center, Chengdu 610071, China
Guangyu Li: School of Aircraft Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, China
Xue Geng: Chengdu Fluid Dynamics Innovation Center, Chengdu 610071, China
Bo Yuan: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
Yong Chen: Chengdu Fluid Dynamics Innovation Center, Chengdu 610071, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-21

Abstract: The backflow of high-temperature products in an engine’s combustion chamber is a key issue which can significantly reduce combustion efficiency. This is particularly problematic for hypergolic propellants, as the high-temperature products may still contain fuel or an oxidizer. If either the fuel or the oxidizer backflows into the manifold of the other, it can easily lead to micro-explosions, thereby creating a threat. To address this problem, this paper proposes a new design of an anti-backflow injector, aimed at effectively preventing the backflow of combustion products to the propellant manifold. A steady-state, non-reactive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model is employed to evaluate the steady internal flow characteristics of the proposed anti-backflow injector. Additionally, a complementary transient, multiphase fluid dynamics simulation is carried out to assess the response characteristics of the anti-backflow injector. Our analysis focuses on the response characteristics of the concave valve core. The study also explores the impact of different expansion port angles on the injection effect, finding that the vortex diameter at the injector outlet is positively related to the expansion port angle. It is also shown that the injection angle becomes more stable as the expansion angle increases. When the expansion port angles are 10° and 20°, the injection angles show similar trends. In terms of anti-backflow effect, taking the injection stiffness of 150% and a time range of 300 µs as examples, the response time of the anti-backflow models with expansion ports of 10°, 15°, and 20° is increased by 67 µs, 99 µs, and 213 µs, respectively, compared to the base models with the same expansion angles. Meanwhile, when the injection stiffness is 50%, the response time of the anti-backflow models with expansion ports of 10°, 15°, and 20° is increased by 207 µs, 210 µs, and 207 µs, respectively. When the injection stiffness is 20%, the response recovery speed of the anti-backflow models with expansion ports of 10° and 15° is increased by 41 µs and 96 µs, respectively. However, the performance of the anti-backflow model with a 20° expansion port is 216 µs of the base model. The optimized design of the anti-backflow injector has potential applications in solving the propellant backflow problem and contributes to the advancement of combustors.

Keywords: aerospace engine; anti-recirculation injector; numerical simulation; autoignition propellant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/13/3324/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/13/3324/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:13:p:3324-:d:1430328

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().