Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
John Bennewitz
Committee Member
Keith Hollingsworth
Committee Member
David Lineberry
Research Advisor
John Bennewitz
Subject(s)
Rocket engines--Combustion, Heat--Transmission, Rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE)
Abstract
The average heat flux of a 25 mm rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) in an annular center body (CB) and a cylindrical center bodiless (CBL) configura- tion is measured using a water-based calorimeter. The heat flux sensitivity for both geometric configurations are explored as a function of mass flux (ψ) for a constant equivalence ratio = 1.25 using gaseous methane and oxygen. The average heat flux of the CBL geometry is on average 47% higher at each axial location than the CB geometry for a given ψ. The peak heat flux measured for the CBL chamber is 25.58 ± 0.58 MW/m² and 22.94 ± 0.64 MW/m² for the CB configuration. Additionally, the heat flux is not found to directly scale with mass flux near the injector face as predicted by the traditional Bartz correlation. The empirical data from this work aims to support the development of heat transfer models and thermal management strategies for long-duration RDRE applications.
Recommended Citation
Patel, Yash, "Average heat flux measurements in a 25 mm rotating detonation rocket engine" (2026). Theses. 834.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/834