Numerical investigation of combustion instability in a single-element liquid rocket engine: Intermittency routes before and after thermoacoustic instability

This paper provides the first numerical proof of intermittency routes existing before and after thermoacoustic instability, as we increase the oxidizer inlet temperature under fuel-lean (phi = 0.91) and fuel-rich (phi = 1.25) conditions in coaxial liquid rocket engine utilizing methane and hydrogen peroxide as propellant. Axisymmetric compressible Large Eddy Simulation algorithms combined with global chemical reaction mechanisms are used to simulate the non-premixed turbulent combustion process in high-pressure flows, where the one-equation eddy sub-grid turbulence model and the PaSR sub-grid combustion model are employed based on OpenFOAM. After verification of the grid independence as well as the global chemical mechanism against experimental measurements and existing simulations, the multi-bifurcation process of the system dynamics and the corresponding lock-in phenomenon are the main focus of this paper. The results suggest that with an increase in oxidizer inlet temperatures, the system dynamics at phi = 0.91 conditions experience an initial shift from states of combustion noise to states of thermoacoustic instability through intermittent oscillation. A further rise in oxidizer inlet temperature leads to a second bifurcation from thermoacoustic instability states back to combustion noise states via intermittency, which is the first observation in the liquid rocket engine. Such an intermittency route before and after thermoacoustic instability is preserved at phi = 1.25 conditions. Furthermore, a decrease in the equivalence ratio accelerates the initial bifurcation point for the onset of thermoacoustic instability. Flame index analysis is also employed to distinguish between diffusion and premixed flames, providing further insight into the underlying physical mechanism of the frequency-locking phenomenon between the pressure and combustion flow subsystems both in fuel-lean and fuel-rich conditions. Other details of the combustion flow fields also include the migration of the flame anchor point towards the injector with an increase in oxidizer inlet temperature.

Automated summary

This paper provides numerical proof of the existence of intermittent routes before and after thermoacoustic instability in a liquid rocket engine. The study shows that with an increase in oxidizer inlet temperatures, the system dynamics experience a shift from combustion noise to thermoacoustic instability through intermittent oscillation, and then a bifurcation back to combustion noise states via intermittency. The study also finds that a decrease in the equivalence ratio accelerates the onset of thermoacoustic instability. The findings provide insights into the underlying physical mechanism of the frequency-locking phenomenon and the migration of the flame anchor point.