Advanced Injector Designs for Hydrocarbon Liquid Rocket Engine Components

Future hydrocarbon-based rocket engines are expected to involve very high pressure heated fuel and oxygen mixtures. A clear design goal is the optimization of fuel injection in order to maximize mixing in smaller and lighter engines. High pressureinjection may also mean operating with a flow of supercritical fuel, whose behavior cannot be adequately predicted by simulations based on conventional gas-law equations of state. It is proposed to extend existing multi-phase modeling and numericalsimulation capabilities to allow for arbitrary (user-defined) equations of state, in order to accurately model the injection, mixing and combustion of supercritical hydrocarbon fuels. The novel approach proposed will be sufficiently general to allowpredictions of supercritical and subcritical regions within the same simulation, providing a seamless transition between the two. The overall capability developed will be a major step forward in the development of simulation capability related to advancedrocket main and pre-burner injectors for hydrocarbon rocket engine propellants. Consequently, it has significant benefits to both military and commercial rocket engine development. Parts of the capability can also be applied to injectors in otherapplication areas including internal combustion engine which has benefits to automotive, marine and aerospace fields. Other applications even include all spray and misting equipment.