Date of Award
Summer 8-2016
Degree Type
Thesis-Restricted
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Mechanical Engineering
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Major Professor
Kazim M. Akyuzlu
Abstract
In this thesis, combustion processes in a laboratory-scale methane based low pressure rocket motor (LPRM) is studied experimentally and numerically. Experiments are conducted to measure flame temperatures and chamber temperature and pressure. Single reaction-four species reacting flow of gaseous methane and gaseous oxygen in the combustion chamber is also simulated numerically using a commercial CFD solver based on 2-D, steady-state, viscous, turbulent and compressible flow assumptions. LPRM geometry is simplified to several configurations, i.e. Channel and Combustion Chamber with Nozzle and FWD. Flow in a Bunsen burner is simulated inside Channel geometry in order to validate the reaction model. Grid independence study is also conducted for reacting as well as non-reacting flows. Numerical model is calibrated based on experimental results. Results of the computational model are found in a good agreement with the experimental data after calibrating specific heats of the products. Parametric study is conducted in order to investigate the effects of different mass flow rates and chamber pressures on flow and combustion characteristics of a LPRM to provide insight to future studies.
Recommended Citation
kaya, mine, "Experimental Study and Numerical Simulation of Methane Oxygen Combustion inside a Low Pressure Rocket Motor" (2016). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2240.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2240
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.