Masters Theses

Keywords and Phrases

Computational fluid dynamics; Ionic liquid; Microtube; Monopropellant; Multi mode propulsion; Propulsion

Abstract

"This thesis presents the process and results of the development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in ANSYS Fluent 18.1 on the catalytic decomposition of a novel liquid monopropellant in a microtube in order to gain deeper insights than what is available through the experimental data. The CFD model was created using the Euler- Euler Multiphase model in conjunction with the Heterogeneous Reaction submodel. Such a choice of modeling setting was backed up by theory and benchmark computations on multiphase and compressible flow, shown in Section 3 and Appendix A. It was found that the previously determined one-step reaction mechanism in Berg and Rovey [15] was not sufficient for Fluent due to a small mass imbalance; therefore, a new equation with trace species was calculated in NASA CEA to overcome this issue, and its accuracy was confirmed through a single phase Fluent case. From this case, the largest %diff between them was in the cp at 6.7%, which was determined to be due to different calculation methods; the remaining tracked properties were all within 1%. The pressure drop was noted to be much smaller than expected, along with the outlet being subsonic, which was initially accounted to a lack of multiphasic effects. The multiphase simulations encountered solution issues, providing physically impossible values, divergence, or convergence only upon removal of combustion. The most likely cause of this error was hypothesized to be numerical approximations to the unknown steady state boundary condition in the monopropellant's experiment. It was determined that the multiphase effects could be approximated via a source term simulation, which built on the single phase case. This simulation also showed a smaller pressure drop, as well as an outlet Mach of 0.0895, leading to the conclusion that the outlet flow is subsonic. Given that the existing simulations cannot match all the desired quantities in the experiments, additional simulations with better designed numerical models and boundary conditions are necessary for them to fully explain the experiments"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Duan, Lian, 1983-

Committee Member(s)

Rovey, Joshua L.
Riggins, David W.

Department(s)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Aerospace Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Fall 2018

Pagination

xvi, 97 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 93-96).

Rights

© 2018 Andrew Paul Taylor, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 11446

Electronic OCLC #

1084480986

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