AFOSR

Space Propulsion and Power

AFOSR Spring Review
1 M
17 March
h 2011

Dr. Mitat A Birkan

Program Manager
AFOSR/RSA
Air Force Research Laboratory
Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 88ABW-2011-0802
 Space Propulsion and Power
Chemical propulsion

Non-Chemical
propulsion
(field, plasma, beamed,
electromagnetic)
g )

Key Parameters: Thrust

Th t , Specific
S ifi impulse,
i l D
Density
it specific
ifi impulse,
i l T t l Impulse
Total I l

What is new?
Multi disciplinary (Propulsion,
Multi-disciplinary (Propulsion Materials,
Materials Plasma and Electro
Electro-Energetic
Energetic
Physics, Chemistry, etc), multi-physics, multi-scale approach to complex
propulsion problems 2
 Space Propulsion and Power
Examples of Past Technology Transfer

Rocketdyne, NASA Marshall: jet spreading rates for subcritical and supercritical conditions in a form
amenable for use in liquid engine design codes, resulted from the fundamental studies of Talley/AFRL,
Yang/PSU, Williams/UCSD (2006)

AFRL Space Vehicles: 200 W first US designed, US build Hall Thruster launched on board the TacSat2 on
Dec 16, 2006 , design based on the fundamental studies of Sanchez (MIT), Cappelli (Stanford), and AFRL
Propulsion Directorate (Hargus)

Propellant
N
J B
e
z
SE
Anode Io
ns
N
+
+ - - Cathode -neutralizer

Electrolytic Ignition of Monopropellants (Yetter, Penn State)

Selected by the Steering Committee of the Integrated High Payoff Rocket
Propulsion Technology (IHPRT) Phase III - (2005)

3
 Space Propulsion and Power
Examples of Potential Technology Transfer / Transformational Capabilities

HAN
•(2010) observed electrolytic decomposition of ionic monopropellant in
microchannel by adding dispersed nano-catalyst (.1% weight graphene FGS
sheets) that will eliminate structural catalyst (Yetter / Penn State)
S
•NASA
HAN: hydroxil ammonium nitrade
•(2010) achieved electrostatic acceleration of the ionic chemical
propellants (AF315A), to be used as dual-mode propulsion
De La Mora (Yale)
(Yale), Yetter (Penn State)
•IHPRPT, AFSC, SMC

•(2010) Nano-Aluminum Encapsulated with Ammonium Perchlorate

and RDX via crystallization (Son / Purdue )
•DTRA, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics

(
•(2009)) AFOSR and NASA Launch First-Ever Test
Rocket Fueled by green, Safe Aluminum-Ice
Propellant
Son (Purdue), Yetter(PennState), Yang(Georgia
Tech))

4
 Space Propulsion and Power
most challenging and exciting scientific opportunities
acceleration concepts using electric and beamed energy to provide high efficiency,
variable thrust / exhaust velocities (throttleable) , and lifetime
•Understand secondary electron emission at plasma-wall interfaces in order accurately model
plasma
l sheaths
h th ((effect
ff t on th
the sheath
h th potential),
t ti l) and d th
their
i effect
ff t on th
the di
discharge
h
characteristics, design materials at micro level to optimize discharge behavior

•in a transient, chemically-reactive, highly magnetized plasmas of poly-atomic propellants

understand and p predict plasma
p formation losses,, neutral entrainment to increase thrust
mitigate chemical oxidation, optical radiation, and/or deposition of conductive layer

Understand and Predict flux and energy distributions of natural and propulsion generated
species, and their interaction with the spacecraft surface materials:
•identify absorption characteristics at nano scales to predict material response, identify
ways to control absorption, sense contamination, and mitigate charge accumulation

novel energetic materials based on nanoscale particles,

particles energetic additives
additives, and dispersed nano-catalysts

•to control combustion instability through nano-scale design of the propellants

•eliminate structural catalyst for monopropellants, use same propellant in chemical and
electric p
propulsion
p ((dual-mode))

AFOSR workshop on “Materials and Processes Far From Equilibrium” 3-5 Nov 2010
Birkan, Sayir, Luginsland, and Harrison 5
 Design materials at micro level to optimize discharge
behavior and mitigate erosion in thrusters via modeling
secondary electron emission at plasma-wall interfaces
Debye Sheath: interface between a plasma to a solid surface or another plasma with different characteristics 
(double layer), properties depends on the plasma characteristics and wall material

x=0 •As the secondary electron emission (δ) increases, the potential
Ion current
Ion current xx=LL
Ii d
drop across the
th sheath
h th decreases,
d over a wide
id range off electron
l t
temperatures
0
Ie
-50

Sheath Potential [[V]

Pl
Plasma W ll
Wall SEE Present
Reduced sheath
-100 potential due to SEE
No SEE
Reflected Electrons
Transmitted Electron current
-150
Φwall<0 Onset of space-charge-saturated
sheath, 
emitted secondary electron -200
200
current
λ=δIe 0 10 20 30 40
Φ=0 Φ=Φwall Electron Temperature [eV]

δ is secondary Electron yield coefficient

Therefore Secondary electron emission can:
Therefore,
No secondary electron emission
• increase thruster lifetime through reduced sheath
energies, and increase ionization efficiency through
regulation of electron temperature
secondary electron emission
•reduce thruster efficiency by allowing higher electron
power losses to the walls and enhancing electron leakage
Gridless Electrospray Thrusters : use current to anode
sheath as ‘virtual electrode’ to extract liquid
6
spray
 Single Shot Electrodeless Lorentz Force Thruster Operation
Successfully Demonstrated
Slough / Kirtley/ Milroy (MSNW/ University of Washington), Rovey (YIP-Univ. of Missouri)
Cambier, Haas, Brown (AFRL/ RZSS)

•Field Reverse Configuration used to create Plasmoids in fusion community, combined with Rotating
Magnetic Fields, promise a breakthrough in high power (1 kW and up) variable thrust space propulsion

RMF Steady
Antenna Field Coil

IInputt Power
P = 50 J (25
(25-50
50 kW steady
t d state)
t t )
Propellant = Air, Argon, Xenon, Nitrous Oxide
Measured Thrust impulse = 1mN-s per plasmoid ejection
Measured Specific Impulse = 1,000-6,000 s

•air-based plasma propulsion is feasible with neutral entrainment to increase thrust

Goal: optimize this concept to obtain high performance with accepted lifetime
through understanding of the fundamental physical processes and their
coupling

New Collaborators: AFRL/RZSS, NASA, DARPA

7
 Fundamentals of the Electrodeless Lorentz Force Accelerator

Wire current
2B (out of the
page)
I I -I
I Surface
currents
(into the
B B B page)
B
Increased B field region

Ideal conductor (B=0)

8
 Fundamentals of the Electrodeless Lorentz Force Accelerator
Steady azimuthal currents (solenoid coils) create a divergent axial magnetic field

Pre Ionization creates seed plasma (spark, RF, etc., <1 s)
Bsolenoid Bradial Flux strap (ideal conductor)
Propellant
p Bbias
(~1% ionization fraction)
Dielectric
J (solenoid, steady) material

Pulsed or
Steady
Propellant e-
injection e- + e- + +- + e-
+e- + e + e- Bbias
Example;
E l
Air (N2, O2)

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES:
•Is incoming propellant fully ionized ?
• What is the optimal gas distribution at injection?
9
 Fundamentals of the Electrodeless Lorentz Force Accelerator
RF antenna produces oscillating transverse m=1 mode where electrons
couple to the component rotating in the electron drift direction

Duration < 1 s

B


V0sin(t)

Bbias

V0cos(t)
( )

10
 Fundamentals of the Electrodeless Lorentz Force Accelerator
Rotating magnetic field induces large azimuthal current (10s of kA) and
mirror surface current in opposite direction at wall
•J induced in opposite direction on the conducting walls (“flux straps”)
•B-fields outside of FRC add up (increased magnetic pressure)
•B-field inside plasma is in reverse direction ( = Field Reversed Configuration)

B
Bbias

BFRC
+
+ ++
+
+
e- e e-
-

e- e e-
-

J-FRC (due to rotating magnetic field)

J wall (mirror current)

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES:
•Ionization, and energy stored in the excited states, subsequent optical radiation from the excited states
•Is there any ion impingement to the walls, any potential sheath formation near the walls, if it is, what are
the characteristic time scales of each event including ion drift ? 11
 Fundamentals of the Electrodeless Lorentz Force Accelerator
The result is a well confined, closed field plasmoid (FRC) in equilibrium with an
external field now many times larger than the initial bias field

Duration < 15 s RMF generated

plasma current
from synchronous
electrons

J Fz  j  Br
Net
Acc.
Force Steady magnetic
field due to
solenoid +
transient
Total Field Gradient magnetic field due
Large Plasma Azimuthal to FRC
Current Expanding section converts some
thermal energy into kinetic energy

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES related to PLASMOID:

•Ohmic and Turbulent (MHD) heating, and its effect on optical radiation
•Radiation losses: time-dependent distribution of atomic states and ionization stages

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES related to EXPANSION:

• What is the critical residence time of plasmoid in the thruster to convert thermal
energy to axial kinetic energy (optimal expansion)? 12
 Neutral Entrainment
Can we Increase thrust to power ratio by entraining and accelerating
neutrals without ionization and plasma formation losses ?

1. F
1 Form an FRC with
ith ELF
2. Add more neutral propellant in front of it
3. Entrain the propellant through mostly charge
exchange collisions
4 Add kinetic
4. ki ti energy withith pulsed
l d magneticti fields
fi ld

•Can dramatically (x10) increase T/P

•Ionization losses limited to plasma mass
mass,
not the whole mass
•The concept could potentially be
used for air-breathing
ṁneutral
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES:
• How does a transient, magnetized plasma interact with a neutral gas?
• What is magnitude of additional losses when entraining neutrals?
13
 Space Propulsion and Power
gearing up/winding down
acceleration concepts using electric and beamed energy to provide high efficiency, variable thrust / exhaust velocities (throttleable)
, and lifetime

•Understand secondary electron emission at plasma-wall interfaces in order accurately model plasma sheaths (effect on the
sheath potential), and their effect on the discharge characteristics, design materials at micro level to optimize discharge behavior

•in a transient, chemically-reactive, highly magnetized plasmas of poly-atomic propellants

understand and predict plasma formation losses, neutral entrainment to increase thrust
mitigate chemical oxidation, optical radiation, and/or deposition of conductive layer
Understand and Predict flux and energy distributions of natural and propulsion generated species, and their interaction with the
spacecraft
ft surface
f materials:
t i l

•identify absorption characteristics at micro scales to predict material response, identify ways to control absorption, sense
contamination, and mitigate charge accumulation

novel energetic materials based on nanoscale particles, energetic additives, and dispersed nano-catalysts

•to control combustion instability through nano-scale design of the propellants

•to discover chemical and electrolytic pathways that will eliminate structural catalyst for monopropellants, use same
propellant in chemical and electric propulsion (dual-mode)

Plume signature: rarified flows with chemistry, radiation

p
Laser Propulsion and Electromagnetic
g launchers: MURI ended

Thank You for your Attention !! 14

ADDITIONAL VIEWGRAPHS

15
 Quantitative prediction of injector jet spreading rates for
subcritical and supercritical conditions used to validate codes,
such as the Rocketdyne engine design code for SSME Block-II

Experimental shear layer structure Single element injector simulation

Subcritical Transition Super-critical

g >>b g = b g << b

characteristic turbulent bulge formation time

 0.27
 /( b+ g)) + (
0 27 [ ((b/( / l)0.5
( g/ 0 5]

characteristic gasification time

16
Talley/AFRL, Yang/PSU, Williams/UCSD
 Simulate full scale effects at small scales
A HYBRID (Experimental + Theoretical ) Approach for elucidating
complex combustor dynamics (closed-loop actively controlled)

Boundary conditions=f(r,t)

Control signal to the

actuator that determines the
Experimental domain velocity of the actuator’s
diaphragm

Measured
RD-0110 Injector Pressure oscillation
Layout p’(t)
CONTROLLER: Uses an approximate analytical solution
91 swirl coaxial
to compute the effects of acoustics and oscillatory
injectors
combustion in the “remainder/computational” domain

Computational domain=“Remainder” of engine

17
 OSR Funded MIT Hybrid Particle-In-Cell model (1996-
2000) helped to resolve 200 W Hall Thruster erosion and
efficiency problems, flew on TacSat-2 (2006)
•Hybrid Particle-In-Cell simulation tracks ions as particles, electrons as fluid

Outer
Exit
Ring
Near Field
Plume

R Nose
Cone
Axis

Ion flux to walls high at nose cone, causing high losses, erosion

•Discharge zone moved to downstream through improved magnetic topology including magnetic shunt
•Result is 200W Thruster with 43% efficiency, 1375 sec specific impulse, estimated 1800 hr lifetime

Szabo, Fife, Sanchez (MIT), and Busek Co 18

 It may be possible to eliminate structural catalyst
through the use of dispersed nano-catalyst

• Functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) have been dispersed in HAN+H2O mixture (0.1% weight),
• Thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimeter show onset of reaction lowered by
20oC with FGS
HAN+H2O HAN+H2O+0.1% (weight) FGS
3
6
100
2.5 100

80
TG TG 5

2 80 4
60 1.5
60 3

40 1 2
40
05
0.5 1
20
20
0 DSC 0
DSC 0

-0.5 0 -1
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
o
90 100
Temperature
p /oC Temperature
p /C
HYPOTHESIS: Curser for thermal decomposition reaction
HAN NH3OH+NO3-(liq) NH2OH(g)+HNO3(g) (Ea~15kcal/mol and Hr = +38kcal/mol)

replaced with the desorption reactions

FGS
6NH3OH+NO3- 3N2(g) + 2NO(g) + 10H2O(g) + 4HNO3(g) (Hr = -28 kcal/mol)
•Needs molecular dynamics and quantum chemical calculations to
understand FGS surface dynamics 19
 Propulsive performance measurements of HAN+HEEN
from time-of-flight experiment is very promising at near
purely ionic regime
Extraction Acceleration
Electrode Electrode

charged
particles
ti l
Conductive
Liquid

ions
Taylor Cone

Tip OD ≈ 100 m
Cumulatiive collected currrent

Length ≈ 509 mm
distriibution, Ic(t) [nA]

Parameter No post-acceleration 10 kV post-acceleration

emitter-tip voltage
relative to extractor= Mass Flow Rate, ṁ [10-12 kg/s] 0.58 0.58
1756 V Thrust, T [nN] 19.5 46.5

Emitted spray current = Specific Impulse, Isp [s] 3425 8172

250 ± 10 nA
Propulsive Efficiency,  [%] 74.6 74.6
Pressure
differential=25 Torr
Time, t [s] (Flight distance: L=250mm)
Flight Time

•Ethyl ammonium nitrate is better choice for electrosprays, because it is in liquid state, however harder to ignite in
chemical propulsion and lower performance, mix with methyl ammonium nitrate ? 20
 Nano-Aluminum Encapsulated in
Ammonium Perchlorate via crystallization
•approach is to use a surfactant that coats the nanoparticles and creates more
effective nucleation sites for the crystalization
•the method of capture of a nanoparticle in a polymer micelle

((a)) dispersion
p (b)
( ) capture
p (c)
( ) crystallization
y

•Schematic of final micelle-based crystal

p
•Encapsulated nano aluminum in AP

21
 Encapsulated Al particles may eliminate
Slag Problem

• We hypothesize that encapsulated Al particles will release more readily from the surface that
ignite and burn in a more oxygen rich environment
– This would result in fewer coalesced particles at the surface; leading to smaller
agglomerates, improved combustion efficiency, and less slag

Classsical nano/micro Al burning Encapsulated nano/micro Al burning

Al burning

Encapsulated Al

22
 Al and Water reactions have been studied for decades, why was
it unsuccessful then, what may make it successful now ?
Answer: Nano-Aluminum Particles
•Ignition was a problem with previous liquid water and aluminum
Al203 , Tmelt
˜ 1000 K
2300 K

˜
propellants using micron sized particles (Tign~ 2300 K). Tmelt
Nano particles have lower ignition temperatures (as low
•Nano Al
as 1000 K) and lower ignition energies.
•Since the aluminum water reaction is generally considered a heterogeneous reaction,
the alumina product size scales with initial particle size, and slag accumulation was a
problem.
•Nano particles lead to smaller sized final product alumina particles (implying
lower drag and less two-phase flow losses).
•Previous systems
y were non-premixed
p leading
g to particle
p injection,
j , mixing,
g, and flame
stability problems (used particle injectors, vortex, and linear chambers, all failed )
•Composite quasi-homogeneous mixtures of nano-aluminum and water (ice)
eliminate these issues.
•In order to maintain high reaction rates, the combustors were operated close to
stoichiometric and even fuel-rich (needed to inject extra water that quench the flame).
•Nano particles have higher burning rates and high conversion efficiency in
small volumes
References:
•T.G. Hughes, R.B. Smith, and D.H. Kiely, Journal of Energy 1983, vol.7 no.2 (128-133);
•Kiely, D. H., AIAA 94-2837;
23
•J.P. Foote, J.T. Lineberry, B.R. Thompson, Winkleman, AIAA 96-3086
•T.F. Miller, T.F., J.D. Herr, AIAA 2004-4037
 Multiscale Approaches to Controlling Surface
Absorption and Contamination
25% cells lost due above the surface (kinetic) At/below the surface(molecular):
to hydrazine
order of mm-meters! order of nanometers!
residue deposits
Provide sticking
(1) predict and measure
probabilities, residence
contamination to surface
times, erosion rates
Provide ion and neutral as a func. of T,
velocity distribution composition, velocity
functions

Density functional theory calculation (quantum )

order of angstroms! 10-9 m Re-adjust potential field based
on energy distribution of electrons

Use atom probe tomography to determine role of neutral and ion

bombardment on energy distribution of electronic structure

24
10-10m
 Hydrocarbons mixed with ammonia borane will tend to
burn faster due to the drop shattering events

Drop of pure ethanol burning in air

Ethanol/3%
AB Drop
Burning
Drop of ethanol with 3% inby weight burning in air
ammonium borane

Air

•additives can be used to both stabilize rocket chamber combustion and obtain
higher performance Anderson, Son, Heister (Purdue)
25
BACK-UP VIEWGRAPHS

26
 Annular Supersonic Air Inlet in Hypersonic
Air-breathing Mode of Combined-Cycle LP Engine

Transition to Hypersonic Regime:

A conical
i l bow
b shock
h k forms
f over the
th
nose, which functions as an external
compression airbreathing inlet, driving
compressed air into the annular inlet.

 In the hypersonic regime, air enters the

annular inlet slit at supersonic speeds,
refreshing the annular laser absorption
chamber.
chamber

Cross-section of Lightcraft
engine showing supersonic
inlet for laser airbreathing
propulsion mode.
27
 Laser Pulsed Detonation Engine Cycle
AFRL/PR(Mead), RPI(Myrabo), DLR (Schall), NASA (Wang)
>107 watts/cm2 air breakdown
Refill ~ Scavenging Annular focus in shroud (0.4 – 1.2 sec ) for 10.6 m laser
(190 - 1000 sec)
0.5-1.0 mm
line focus
shroud

Air refresh
at subsonic
speed Pulsed Laser beam
(18 sec)

Blast Wave Ejection Laser-Supported Deflagration

(18 - 190 sec) (12-18 sec)
Laser-Supported Detonation
((1 – 12 
sec))
Mmax = 2.8

28
 Flow Regimes for Laser Propulsion Experimental
Research (Mach No. vs. Altitude)
•LP experimental research is conducted in three airbreathing flow regimes:
- Hypersonic LP Experiments at the Henry T. Nagamatsu Laboratory of
Aerothermodynamics and Hypersonics at IEAv-CTA
IEAv CTA in Brazil (Mach 6 to12+);
- Subsonic, and Supersonic (Mach 2 to 3+) LP Experiments at RPI.
•Hypersonics research will identify Mach # for transition to laser rocket mode.
Laser Launch Initial Trajectory (with Mach 0.6 “pop-up” to 12.5 km)
Subsonic Supersonic Hypersonic
1.2 40 (RPI) (RPI) (Brazil)

35
1
Density (kg/m3)

30
0.8 [Rocket Mode
e (km)

25
Transition @
Mach 88-12]
12]
Altitude

0.6 20

15
0.4
10 Density
0.2
5 Altitude

0 0
29
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Mach #
 Instability is one of the most complex
phenomena in liquid rocket engines
•In a High Pressure/Temperature, Two-Phase, Turbulent, Acoustically – Excited Environment, investigate
Amplification
•High amplitude and high frequency acoustic instabilities can lead to local burnout of the combustion chamber walls and
injector plates

Subcritical Processes:

Jet Break-up

Atomization

Vaporization

Combustion (effect of chemistry?)

High pressure combustion (supercritical regime) is a two-edged sword:

•Performance and Thrust/Weight advantages
•Higher energy density increases risk of combustion instability
Supercritical regime gas-like processes offers new opportunities
•Simulate High Pressure supercritical combustion using gas-gas simulants
•Injector damping made possible by gas-like behavior of supercritical processes
30
 Stabilize the liquid engines using energetic additives and nano-particles
Cryogenic H2–fueled engines are more stable than storable
hydrocarbon-fueled rocket engines, WHY?
•Faster Reaction rates (Flame Speeds) stabilize the engine
Experimental (Anderson / Purdue) numerical (Merkle / Purdue)

Average heat release rate

H2/LOX ‘Fast’ Combustion

Flame anchored
on the splitter plate

Finite-rate
Methane Combustion
/LOX Flame anchored on
the step by the
recirculation zone

RESEARCH:
•Can a practical hydrogen carrier be developed for use as an additive to hydrocarbon fuels to increase combustion
rate (flame speed)?
•How can chemistry and fluid mechanics (mode shape and mixing) be combined to result in a heat release
distribution that is steady and resistant to pressure oscillations in the chamber?" 31
 Liquid Engine Combustion Instability
An example of Individual Scientific Problem: Injector Dynamics
Waves Generated by a Swirling Oxygen Jet
Russian RD-0110 engine (SOYUZ third stage
liquid engine) swirl coaxial injector • Model is based on full conservation laws and accommodates real-fluid
thermodynamics and transport phenomena over the entire range of
breakup length
kerosene fluid states from subcritical to supercritical
•T
Turbulence
rb lence closure
clos re through
thro gh Large eddy
edd Simulation,
Sim lation Sub-grid-scale
S b grid scale
swirl
gas core
motions treated by Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model
cone
angle • Axisymmetric, flow variations in the azimuthal direction neglected
liquid oxygen

Seven Different Wave Motions Identified (Yang / Georgia Tech)

Tangential 02 inj. recirculating flow near the injector exit T= 300 K
Tinj= 120 K p= 10
0 MPaa
recirculating flow in the
gaseous core

5 mm acoustic waves
surface
f
instability

recirculating hydrodynamic waves

flow within
ithi LOX fil
film

Temperature Field 32
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
 Liquid Engine Combustion Instability
An example of Individual Scientific Problem: Injector Dynamics
Data Analysis
.
Spectral analysis: provides the frequency content at a single point, does not provide the spatial structure, or
driving mechanism of an instability mode.
30
Probe 9
9

Pa
20

p' , kP
1.04
10
3.9
30
0.55 Probe 1 0
0 5 10 15 20
Hydrodynamic wave speed 10 m/s Frequency, kHz
Pa

20
p' , kP

1.04 T
Travel
l time
ti 2 ms 0.5 KHz
10 3.15 14.0 hydrodynamic waves within LOX film
Corresponds to the
1/4 wave resonator natural frequency
3.2 KHz Kelvin-Helmholtz
0
0 5 10 15 20 f = c/4L + l
acoustic waves interfacial
instabilities
Frequency, kHz
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition technique: determine the spectral (frequency) content and spatial
structure of each instability mode over a given spatial domain and the driving mechanism of each instability mode.

Fl
Flow property
t
9

9
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS:
•One must account for the Kelvin-Helmholtz wave motion and the acoustic waves as the boundary
conditions for the chamber dynamics simulation 33
•One must account for the hydrodynamic waves in LOX film in the injector design
 Paradigm-Shifted Engine Development via
High-Fidelity Modeling & Simulation
Vigor Yang (Penn State), Palanismawy (Metacomp), Anderson (Purdue)
LES-based modeling & advanced computing architecture fundamentally
Improve rocket engine design and development
full scale combustor
- 300 injector elements
- O(1 billion) grid cells
Systems - two orders of magnitude more
CPU time on today’s machine
full-scale
- O(10,000 processors)
combustors
subscale combustor
- 20 injector elements
Subsystems - 200-million grid cells
injector clusters,
cooling - one order of magnitude
sector
t rigs,
i andd igniter more CPU time on today’s
sub-scale combustors machine
nozzle
injector - O(10,000 processors)
Components single element injector rig
(L = 44 cm, D = 5 cm)
shear & swirl coaxial,
coaxial platelet,
platelet thrust
chamber
cooling
outlet - 10-million grid cells
and impinging-jet injectors for LOX HC windows

gas-gas, gas-liquid, and

inlet inlet
-250,000 CPU hours (512 IBM-
liquid-liquid propellants SP3 processors)
Supercritical
p LOX/hydrocarbon
y
Processes reacting shear layers
jets, shear layers, - real fluids, 3-million grid cells
droplets, flames, and - 50,000 CPU hours (64 2.2-GHz 34
acoustic waves
Pentium IV processors)
 Large eddy Simulation vs Direct
Numerical Simulation
• Jet injection in supercritical-pressure turbulent flows exhibit ‘finger-
like’ features absent at subcritical pressures
• These ‘finger
finger-like
like’ features govern flow development
development, and turbulence
production/damping LES
modeling
may require
i
to account
for case
specific
physics
Experiment Sub-Grid Model: new terms DIRECT NUMERICAL
(Talley/RZSA) in equations are needed to
describe the observations SIMULATION
( ,
O(500,000)) grid
g points
p O(20 million) grid points

Bellan / Caltech funded by AFOSR(Birkan), RZSA(Talley), RZTG (Edwards), and

RZAS(Carter) 35
 Liquid Engine Combustion Instability problem:
to obtain approximate solutions are the key to real-time control
application of Perturbations and Galerkin techniques:
Nonlinear partial differential equations
P= P(mean)+ P’(small perturbation) L( P' )  P'2 / t 2  C 2P'2 / x 2  f ( M , Q, NL)
~
P  iN1 Ci (t )i ( x) ~,,
P
P’ Known Eigen- Minimize the error ,
functions (acoustic Error  E  [ L( P ( x, t )  f ( M , Q, NL)]
Unknown time modes of chamber) E
x 0EL( x, t )i ( x)dx  0 orthogonal condition
xL
dependent amplitudes
E
• Condition that the error E be orthogonal to all the N chosen eigenfunctions yields a system of N nonlinear
ordinary differential equations which is much faster to solve analytically and/or computationally

Inhomogeneous part = f (mean flow, combustion oscillations, non-linear terms like convection)

If M<<1, mean flow Q’ is a second order effect Nonlinear terms is a second

effects are negligible like Mp’, or Mu’ order effect like (u’)2

Iterate Process to Increase accuracy

First Iteration(f=0)
Consider the effect of
acoustics only in
computational domain
y
Second Iteration f = f(Q’ only)
Add the effects of “uniform” propellants
injection/combustion in the
computational domain
Third Iteration f = f(Q’, NL)
Add the effects of “non-uniform”
propellants injection/combustion and
nonlinearities in the computational domain

36
 Developed a smart fuel injector to actively
control instabilities in liquid rocket engine

Controlled
spray pattern

var

Outer
swirler

Inner
swirler

Demonstrated the excitation of 5000 Hz. Tangential

g
instabilities in an atmospheric pressures
ID: 101207_01_T73
1.40
e ratio

1.30 L Liquid fuel

1.20
uivalence

1.10
Stable
1T Diverter
1.00
operation control
0.90 valve Air
Equ

0.80
0.70 ZINN / GEORGIATECH
40 50 60 70 80 37

K = PINR/POUTR
 Are the baffles in the liquid engines
overdesigned?
•A very short, L=.1D “asymmetric” baffle completely damped the
tangential instability

F1 engine injector
head with baffles

No Baffle: Spinning Short Baffle (L=.1D):

tangential Instability stable operation

•Changing the length of the baffle changes the amplitude, frequency and
mode (i.e., standing vs. spinning) of the instability
38
 Dual-mode operation (Space Situational Awareness)
Microchemical Propulsion with Ionic Monopropellants
(Electrospray thruster will run on the same propellant)
•Fabrication of micro, 3-dimensional, uni-body thrusters from ceramics using stereolithography techniques

• Combustion of AF315 and nitromethane from 1 – 40 atm

electrolytic Ignition (Yetter / Penn State) • Chamber diameters from 2 to 5 mm
• Chemical efficiencies over 99%
Ignition of AF315 Feedthrough
Assembly
Teflon White
Seal/Isolator Decomposed
Decomposition
Gas
Gas 5 mm
Igniter R d
Rod
Casing
C i Electrode
Igniter Electrode
Casing
500m
Gap Spacing InletPropellant
Gas
Liquid Gas
Outlet
Outlet
Liquid Propellant
Inlet
Gas Exit O.D.: 1.59 mm
I.D. : 1.0 mm

Transferred to the AFRL / RZ to be

used for Monopropellant Thrusters •CH3NH2+-NO3- Methylammonium Nitrate is one
(IHPRIT roadmap) of the energetic ionic propellant candidate
which can be used in electrospray propulsion

Payoff to Air Force: development of high performance thrusters for microsatellites with minimal power requirements
39
and “green” monopropellants
 Center of Excellence-Univ. of Michigan
Gridless Electrospray Thrusters : use surface plasma as ‘virtual
electrode’ to extract liquid spray
King / Michigan Tech – Levin/PennState
Current State-of-the-art
Hypothesis : When a gaseous plasma contacts a solid surface a thin
layer of charge imbalance forms in a ‘sheath’ next to the surface.
•Can the electric field in the sheath be made strong enough to
cause Electrosprays without any Physical electrode grids?

Electrode surface

CHALLENGES:
• Delicate microfabrication is required
• Difficult to align a million holes with a million tips
• Extraction grids prone to arcing
arcing, erosion
erosion, interference with jet

RESEARCH:
•Computational
C t ti l and
d experimental
i t l study
t d to
t understand:
d t d
•Coupling between plasma sheath strength and
electrospray production 40