Multi-parameter measurements for thermal shock and thermo-mechanical loading in RDREs

Traditional thermal management methods used in rocket combustion systems are not readily applicable in the RDRE framework due to the higher cooling load demands from the same propellant feed system. Therefore, significant research and development efforts are essential for RDRE thermal management. Specifically, heat-flux loads, as obtained through traditional calorimeter data, face challenges in the RDRE framework due to axial variations in reactant stratification, detonation wave riding near the outer wall, and high periodic heat-fluxes. The high heat-flux density also presents challenges in providing optical access for diagnostic evaluations of various unsteady interactions in RDREs, essential for a physics-based understanding through the use of optical diagnostics. The proposed work here aims to understand these complicated questions with a suite of temporally and spatially resolved diagnostics and the experience to make these detailed measurements in such harsh environments.