Fuel Heating System Design and Thermal Modeling for Aviation Combustion Research

Zhuohui He

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NASA NTRS · 20260005800

Fuel Heating System Design and Thermal Modeling for Aviation Combustion Research

Zhuohui He

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Abstract

Aviation fuels offer substantial heat-sink capability that can be applied to aircraft thermal-management strategies and advanced propulsion-system concepts. Accurate control of fuel temperature is critical for understanding combustion behavior and supporting high temperature fuel experimental studies. This work describes the modeling and experimental validation of a portable, high temperature fuel-conditioning system designed for multiple NASA Glenn Research Center’s combustion facilities. The system utilizes a circulating-oil heating unit and modular tube-in-tube heat exchangers capable of conditioning Jet-A to temperatures approaching 600 K. A Thermal Desktop model was created to analyze heat exchanger configurations and predict performance across a range of operating conditions. Model predictions were compared with measurements collected in the CE-13C test facility, showing good agreement across the tested flow range except at low fuel flow rate around 2 kg/hr. Results provide guidance for sizing future fuel heating system for combustion research applications.

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Zhuohui He. 2026-08-01. Fuel Heating System Design and Thermal Modeling for Aviation Combustion Research. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20260005800

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