Investigation on Flow Features and Combustion Characteristics in a Boron-Based Solid-Ducted Rocket Engine

Xiang Tang, Xiaotao Tian (), Liang Zhu, Suli Wu, Meng Huang and Weixuan Li
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Xiang Tang: Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Xiaotao Tian: Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Liang Zhu: Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Suli Wu: Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Meng Huang: Xi’an Modern Control Technology Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Weixuan Li: School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: Numerical and experimental approaches are conducted to investigate the flow features and secondary combustion performance induced by different air–fuel ratios in a boron-based solid-ducted rocket engine. The results indicated that the afterburning chamber flow features become more complicated owing to the multiple nozzles of the gas injector, and a number of recirculation zones are generated. Because of this, the mixing of the fuel gas and incoming air is enhanced. When the air–fuel ratio decreases, the heat release in the afterburning chamber increases continuously, which causes the pre-combustion shock train to continue to propagate upstream in the subsonic diffuser of the inlet isolator, along with the boundary layer separation zone also moving forward, and the stability margin of the direct-connect inlet decreasing gradually. Furthermore, the direct-connect inlet works at a critical state with an air–fuel ratio of 11.5. As the mass flow rate of the fuel-rich gas rises gradually, the engine thrust gradually increases, and the number of vortexes in the afterburning chamber and the corresponding region affected by the vortexes generally decrease. Meanwhile, the mixing and combustion of the fuel-rich gas and incoming flow were not substantially changed. Additionally, the combustion efficiency and specific impulse are proportional to the air fuel ratio.

Keywords: boron-based solid-ducted rocket engine; secondary combustion; air–fuel ratio (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: 2025
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