Analytical comparison of convective heat transfer correlations in supercritical hydrogen
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Jones, Stuart C..
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Numerical methods have been developed for the analysis of hypersonic aircraft cooling systems. A general purpose finite difference thermal analysis code is used to determine areas which must be cooled. Complex cooling networks of series and parallel flow can be analyzed using a finite difference computer program. Both internal fluid flow and heat transfer are analyzed, because increased heat flow causes a decrease in the flow of the coolant. The steady state solution is a successive point iterative method. The transient analysis uses implicit forward-backward differencing. Several examples of the use of the program in studies of hypersonic aircraft and rockets are provided.
A comparison is made between two different cooling schemes, including a complete system thermal analysis and weight accounting for each. A hydrogen-direct system operates at a higher pressure (34.5 Mpa) and greater temperature rise in the coolant. There is no temperature limit on the coolant itself and high injector temperatures may be achieved, but the pressure lines must be routed over great distances (10 m). The system is simple, and the coolant is almost weightless. In contrast, an indirect system operates at a lower pressure (3.8n MPa) and the liquid coolant has a much greater thermal capacity. The greater thermal capacity causes much less of a temperature rise in the coolant. The chosen coolant is Syltherm 800. This nontoxic fluid is compatible with any metal, including titanium. The loop requires a separate fuel/coolant heat exchanger and coolant pump. The indirect system offers some distinct safety advantages but is heavier than the direct hydrogen coolant system.
A computer program has been written to analyze cooling systems of hypersonic aircraft. This computer program called NASP/SINDA is written into the SINDA'85 command structure and uses the SINDA'85 finite difference subroutines. Both internal fluid flow and heat transfer must be analyzed, because increased heating causes a decrease in the flow of the coolant. Also local hot spots will cause a redistribution of the coolant in the system. Both steady state and transient analyses have been performed. Details of empirical correlations are presented. Results for two cooling system applications are given.
Four correlations that cover the ranges of liquid to gas for turbulent flow convection of hydrogen are compared with CFD analysis over a range of expected design conditions for active cooling of hypersonic aircraft. Analysis of hydrogen cooling in a typical cooling panel shows how predicted design performance varies with the correlation utilized. The CFD heat transfer coefficient results for a heat spike differed significantly from all four correlations. An acceptable heat transfer coefficient can be calculated at the heat spike location by overlooking the coefficient at the spike and averaging the coefficient before and after the spike.
The present thermal management system for a carrier-based Mach 5 cruise-capable aircraft whose propulsion system does not entail cryogenic fuels is predicated on the use of the catalytic endothermic reaction of a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuel as the heat sink for engine cooling. The insulation of engine flowpath surfaces reduces cooling requirements. The primary elements of this closed-cycle cooling system are a fuel preheater, a catalytic fuel reactor, and engine wall-cooling panels; a silicone-based liquid polymer is used as the coolant. Structural, weight, and thermal analysis results are presented for each of the primary components.