Experimental and CFD Studies of a Thin Strut Injector for NASP Propulsion System

The objective of this Phase I proposal is to research and develop an innovative fuel injector for NASP applications, and to commercialize the associated technologies for other energy conversion applications, such as the combined cycle engine. A thin strut fuel injection module will be designed and manufactured in this project. This fuel injector concept is a low aspect ratio version of the existing High Aspect Ratio Ramp Injector (HARRI). Previous testing performed by Taitech, Inc. indicates that the HARRI suffers from the high pressure loss and poor mixing typical of highspeed combustion systems. The proposed thin strut ramp will have a smooth front edge to reduce the pressure gradient and vorticity. Pressure, temperature, Mach number, and concentration will be surveyed two-dimensionally by the diagnostic systems developed by Taitech, Inc. Three-dimensional CFD simulations will be used to investigate mixing behavior. The Phase I study will combine an experimental program and a 3-D CFD simulation to shorten the engineering and development time for this new injector module for the NASP propulsion system. The technologies that will be prepared for commercialization include the efficient ejector system and the 3-D CFD analysis capability for NASP and other propulsion systems.