Papers : Analysis of Supersonic Rocket Plume Flowfield with Finite - Rate Chemical Reactions

A supersonic rocket plum flowfield of kerosene/liquid-oxygen based propulsion system has been analysed using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations coupled with a 9-species 14-reaction finite-chemistry model. The result were compared with chemically frozen flow solution to investigate the effect of finite-rate chemistry on the plume flowfield. The computations were performed using a commercial CFD software, FLUENT 5. The finite-rate chemistry solution exhibited higher temperature caused by the reactions within the nozzle. All the chemical reactions within the plum were dominated only in the shear layer and behind the barrel shock reflection region where the temperatures are high and the effect of finite-rate chemical reactions on the flowfield was found to be insignificant. However, the present plume computation including the finite-rate chemical reaction within the plume has revealed major reactions occurring in the plum and their reaction mechanisms.