Combustion efficiency sensitivity studies of the API injector concept

Abstract

Since a few years DLR Lampoldshausen has been engaged in the development of a new injection concept for cryogenic liquid propellant rocket engines. This concept bases on the injection of the liquid oxygen through a large number of simple tubes while the entire hydrogen is injected through the porous face plate.3, 4 The key feature of the API concept is the independency of the atomization, vaporization, mixing and combustion performance of initial injection conditions such as velocity ratio, momentum fluxratio, Weber number or other non-dimensional parameters which are generally deemed important. This statement will be supported by data optained with a 50mm subscale combustion chamber. The influence of the velocity ratio at injection will be shown through a variation of the propellant mixture ratio and/or the chamber pressure.