Modeling of H2/O2 single-element rocket thrust chamber combustion at sub- and supercritical pressures with different computational fluid dynamics tools

This paper derives from the cooperation between DLR and Airbus DS within the work package “CFD Modeling of Combustion Chamber Processes” conducted in the frame of the Propulsion 2020 project. In a joint strategy, DLR Gottingen and Airbus DS Ottobrunn have identified a number of test cases with gradually growing complexity where adequate test data are available for proper successive validation of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to be used in an industrial environment. This work highlights the simulation results for the Mascotte A-10 and A-60 test cases as presented at the 2nd International Workshop on Rocket Combustion Modeling in Lampoldshausen 2001 by ONERA and SNECMA [1]. These two test cases are characterized by different chamber pressures (10 and 60 bar) and, consequently, by oxygen injection conditions which are subcritical in one case and transcritical in the other case. The test cases are treated with three different CFD codes: the DLR TAU Code (only A-60 case), the Airbus DS in-house tool Rocflam3, and the commercial CFD tool ANSYS CFX incorporating several modeling extensions by Airbus DS. To the knowledge of the authors, this paper is the first one which covers both the A-10 and the A-60 test cases.