An Experimental Investigation on the Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Methane

This paper discusses the heat transfer characteristics of liquid methane (LCH 4) flowing through a cooling channel heated by a Carbo-Thermal Rig. This test apparatus has been developed at the high heat transfer test facility at the Center for Space Exploration Technology Research (cSETR), located at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). It is used for the purpose of simulating the heat load conditions endured in regenerative cooling applications in rocket engines. The facility is designed for working temperatures of up to 650 °C. Fluid flow rates are between 0.2-0.4 kg/s with a maximum operating pressure of 2068 kPa. In addition to ambient testing, experimentation is performed under vacuum conditions (5.5x10 -2 Torr). The overarching goal is to observe and characterize the relationship between the heat transfer and fluid flow behaviors by utilizing multiple temperature measurements along the cooling channel surface and inlet/exit fluid temperatures, as well as flow rate measurements.