High-frequency stability analysis of an aerospike rocket engine taking into account interaction of acoustics and vibrations of toroidal chamber structure
Рубрика:
| 1Nikolayev, OD, 1Bashliy, ID, 2Rossi, F, 3Marchan, RA 1Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine 2Pangea aerospace C/Roc Boronat 117. 08018, Barcelona, Spain 3Yangel Yuzhnoye State Design Office, Dnipro, Ukraine |
| Space Sci. & Technol. 2026, 32 ;(1):13-26 |
| https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2026.01.013 |
| Язык публикации: English |
Аннотация: Thermo-acoustic instability is one of the problems in designing the combustion chambers of liquid rocket engines. An approach to assessing the thermo-acoustic stability margins of aerospike rocket engines with a complex spatial (toroidal) configuration of the combustion chamber structure based on finite element modeling of the dynamic interaction between chamber structure vibrations and combustion products acoustics is developed.
According to the developed approach, the shape and frequency of acoustic oscillations of an annular combustion chamber, as well as the amplitudes of stresses and displacements of the combustion chamber structure, are calculated as parameters of natural oscillations of the coupled “chamber structure and combustion products” dynamic system.
Pangea Aerospace designed the DemoP1 LOX/LNG aerospike rocket engine with a thrust of 2 metric tons and an annular combustion chamber. The parameters of oscillations of the DemoP1 combustion chamber pressure and structure vibrations for engine operation regimes are calculated. Modifications to strengthen the DemoP1 chamber structure made it possible to carry out the DemoP1 fire tests without degrading engine performance or causing chamber high-frequency instability in operating modes.
The results of the computational high-frequency stability analysis are in satisfactory proximity to hot-fire test values of the oscillation modes of DemoP1 chamber pressure and the chamber structure accelerations. The theoretical assessment of high-frequency stability margins is based on the frequency response methods with the calculation of the logarithmic oscillation decrements of the dynamic system.
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| Ключевые слова: high-frequency combustion instability; liquid propellant rocket engine; aerospike; oxygen/methane; natural oscillation modes; pressure oscillation decrement; hot-fire tests |
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2014.12.011
https://doi.org/10.1177/17568277221093848
2. Armbruster W., Hardi J., Suslov D., Oschwald M. (2018). High-Speed Flame Radiation Imaging of Thermoacoustic Coupling in a High Pressure Research Thrust Chamber. Joint Propulsion Conf., 12.
3. Beinke S., Dally B., Oschwald M. (2012). Modelling Acoustic Excitation for the Simulation of Combustion Instability Experiments. 18th Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conf. Launceston, 382-385.
https://www.proceedings.com/content/017/017862webtoc.pdf
4. Brown M. (2023). Structural Dynamics of Liquid Rocket Engines. Publisher Springer Cham, 167 p.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18207-5
5. Dranovsky M. L. (2007). Combustion Instabilities in Liquid Rocket Engines: Testing and Development Practices in Russia. AIAA, 221. Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics.
https://doi.org/10.2514/4.866906
6. Ghoniem A. (2003). Active control of combustion instability: Theory and practice. IEEE Control Systems Magazine, 22(6), 37-54.
https://doi.org/10.1109/MCS.2002.1077784
7. Guan, Y., Becker, S., Zhao, D. (2025). Research and Development on Ramjet Combustion Instabilities. J. Therm. Sci., 34, 689-706.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-025-2103-8
8. Hardi J., Deeken J., Armbruster W., Miene Y., Haemisch J., Martin J., Suslov D., Oschwald M. (2019). LUMEN Thrust Chamber - Injector Design and Stability Analysis. 32nd Int. Symp. on Space Technol. and Sci.
https://elib.dlr.de/132815/
9. Harrje D. T., Reardon F. G. (1972). Liquid-Propellant Rocket Combustion Instability. Washington: NASA.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720026079
10. Horchler T., Armbruster W., Hardi J., Karl S., Hannemann K., Gernoth A., De Rosa M. (2018). Modeling Combustion Chamber Acoustics Using the DLR TAU Code. Space Propulsion, Spanien.
https://elib.dlr.de/119339/
11. Kaess R., Koeglmeier S., Sattelmayer T., Schulze M., Oschwald M., Hardi J. (2016). HF combustion stability - research activities in Germany. SP2016_3124816, 12, Space Propulsion Conf. Rome.
https://elib.dlr.de/107846/1/Kaess2016_SP2016_3124816.pdf
12. Kalmykov G. P., Larionov A. A., Sidlerov D. A., Yanchilin L. A. (2008). Numerical Simulation and Investigation of Working Process Features in High-Duty Combustion Chambers. J. Engineering Thermophysics, 17, No. 3, 196-217.
https://doi.org/10.1134/S1810232808030053
13. Klein S., Börner M., Hardi J. S., Suslov D., Oschwald M. (2020). Injector‑coupled thermoacoustic instabilities in an experimental LOX-methane rocket combustor during start‑up. CEAS Space J., 12, 267-279.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-019-00294-4
14. Koeglmeier S., Kaess R. (2019). Evaluation of Thermo-Acoustic Stability Behavior in Full-Scale Liquid Rocket Propulsion Systems. 8th European Conf. for Aeronautics and Aerospace Sciences EUCASS, 13.
https://doi.org/10.13009/EUCASS2019-592
15. Lebedinsky E. V, Kalmykov G. P., Mosolov S.V. (2008). Working processes in the liquid rocket engine and their simulation. M.: Mashynostroyenye, 512 p.
16. Lebedinsky E. V., Cho G. S. (2007). Baffle as А Struggling Device Against Combustion Instability ln А Combustion Chamber. Polyot, No. 2, 42-47.
17. Lee H. (2023) Finite Element Simulations with ANSYS Workbench Theory. Applications. Case Studies. SDC Publications. Finite Element Simulations with ANSYS Workbench 614 p.
https://www.sdcpublications.com/Textbooks/Finite-Element-Simulations-ANS...
18. Lingbo JiWim M., van Rees. (2024). Vortex bursting and associated twist dynamics on helical vortex tubes and vortex rings. J. Fluid Mechanics.
https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2024.367
19. Mosolov S. V., Biryukov V. I. (2011). Hydrodynamic methods to ensure the working process stability in combustion chambers of liquid-propellant engines. RER, No. 31, 1175-1179.
https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068798X11120197
20. Natanzon M. S., Culick F. E. (2008). Combustion instability. Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, 222, 258 p.
https://doi.org/10.2514/4.866913
21. Nikolayev O. D., Bashliy I. D., Khoriak N. V., Dolgopolov S. I. (2021). Evaluation. of the high-frequency oscillation parameters of a liquid-propellant rocket engine with an annular combustion chamber. Technical mechanics, 16 - 28.
https://doi.org/10.15407/itm2021.01.016
22. Nikolayev O. D., Bashliy I. D. (2022). Assessment of thrust chamber stability margins to high-frequency oscillations based on mathematical modeling of coupled "injector - rocket combustion chamber" dynamic system. Technical mechanics, 1, 3-17.
https://doi.org/10.15407/itm2022.01.003
23. Propst M., Sieder-Katzmann J., Abel J., Schwarzer-Fischer E., Scheithauer U., Tajmar M., Bach C. (2022). Influence of manufacturing accuracy on the performance characteristics of miniaturized ceramic cold-gas thrusters. Space Propulsion Conf.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360779240_Influence_of_manufact... characteristics_of_miniaturized_ceramic_cold-gas_thrusters
24. Pylypenko O. (2023). Solving Current Problems in the Dynamics of Space-Rocket Systems. Advances in Mechanics. Adv. Structured Mater. Eds A. N. Guz, H. Altenbach, V. Bogdanov, V. M. Nazarenko. Springer, Cham. Vol. 191.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37313-8_24
25. Rossi F., Esnault G., Sápi Z., Palumbo N., Argemi A., Bergström R. (2021). Research Activities in the Development of DemoP1: A LOX/LNG Aerospike Engine Demonstrator. 7th Edition of the Space Propulsion Conf., 14, SP2020_403.
26. Sirignano W. A., Popov P. (2013). Two-dimensional Model for Liquid-Rocket Transverse Combustion Instability. AIAA J., 51(12).
https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2013-566
27. SP-194 (1972). Liquid propellant rocket. Combustion instability. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Washington, D.C.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov
28. Test and Evaluation Guideline for Liquid Rocket Engines. Joint Army Navy NASA Air Force (2011). (JANNAF) Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee (LPS) Test Practices and Standards Panel (TPSP). N ADA554916.
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA554916
29. Trusov B. G. (2012). Computer modeling of phase and chemical equilibria. Inzh. Vestn., No. 10, 1-7.
30. Zhang Zh., Zhao D., Han N., Wang Sh., Li J. (2015). Control of combustion instability with a tunable Helmholtz resonator. Aerospace Science and Technology, 41, 55-62.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2014.12.011