Monolithic Thrust Chamber Cooling Passages for Lower Thermal Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thrust chamber assemblies experience thermally induced stress and increased temperature due to stagnation of cooling fluid at abrupt turn-arounds or corners, leading to pressure loss and reduced propulsive efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic composite tubular structure with additively manufactured cooling passages having a turn-around angle less than 180°, formed through additive manufacturing, which evenly distributes cooling fluid and reduces thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling passages with abrupt turn-arounds or corners are used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the cooling fluid stagnates causing increased thermally induced stress and temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling passages are designed with curved geometry and turn-around angles less than 180 degrees instead of abrupt corners, creating smooth transitions that prevent fluid stagnation and reduce thermal stress while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through additive manufacturing processes
2Productivity
If conventional cooling passages with large turning corners are used, then the structure is easier to manufacture, but pressure loss increases penalizing propulsive efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The curved cooling passages with optimized turn-around angles create smooth fluid flow paths that minimize turbulence and pressure loss, thereby improving propulsive efficiency while the additive manufacturing process enables complex geometries that would be difficult to achieve with conventional manufacturing
3Reliability
If cooling fluid flow is improved to reduce thermal stress, then the reliability increases, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turn-around angles of the cooling passages are optimized to be less than 180 degrees, creating a specific geometric parameter range that balances fluid flow performance with manufacturing capabilities through additive manufacturing, thereby improving reliability without excessive complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces thermal stress and improves propulsive efficiency by evenly distributing cooling fluid, preventing premature part failures and enhancing overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling fluid may stagnate when such turn-arounds or corners are abrupt, which increases thermally induced stress in the thrust chamber assembly and increases the temperature of the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
fluid passages or channels for receiving a cooling fluid. Often the cooling fluid is the combustion liquid fuel which needs to return to the top of the combustion chamber after cooling the nozzle
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~6
AI summary
A thrust chamber assembly (110) includes a monolithic preform (145) defining a combustion chamber (115) and a nozzle (120). The monolithic preform has a tubular shape and includes a first end (135), a second end (140) opposite the first end, an inner surface (200), and an outer surface (205). The monolithic preform defines a plurality of fluid inlets (150) disposed at the first end, a plurality of fluid outlets (155) disposed at the first end, and a plurality of fluid passages (300) between the inner surface and the outer surface. The plurality of fluid passages are in fluid communication with the plurality of fluid inlets and the plurality of fluid outlets. The plurality of fluid passages comprise a first pathway portion (305), a second pathway portion (315), and a curved portion (310) between the first pathway portion and the second pathway portion.