PhD defense - G. Lacaze

Large Eddy Simulation of the ignition of cryogenic rocket engine

(Confidential)

Delivered by INP Toulouse
Speciality: Fluid dynamics

May 20, 2009 - CERFACS

The ignition of a cryogenic rocket engine (liquid propellants) is a critical phase. The slighest anomaly in the ignition sequence can lead to the destruction of the entire launcher. The objective of this research work is to set a methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach, to study the different physical phenomena involved in such ignition transient. The LES method can capture the unsteady processes such as turbulence, two-phase flow physics and chemical kinetics. The numerical tool is first validated in academic and experimental cases, and then applied to a real rocket engine. A gradual approach is employed: the complexity is increased between each validation case, so as to identify the main physical processes. This research work shows that the LES approach, in the context of massively parallel computing, can be used to study the whole ignition sequence in a real cryogenic rocket engine.