Numerical simulation of thermal radiation within cylindrical combustion chambers

The primary focus of this research was to determine the thermal radiation heat transfer from the combustion products to the combustion chamber wall. The analysis examined nonluminous thermal radiation from combustion products. Continuum radiation from soot was ignored. A Goody statistical narrow-band model was used with the Curtis-Godson approximation to account for the absorption effects along an inhomogeneous path-length was considered. The mean property method was used to predict spectral radiative transfer from the high temperature gases within the combustor. The enclosure walls have been assumed to be diffusely emitting and reflecting. A FORTRAN computer program was written to solve the radiative transfer equation. The predictions made by the computer program were compared to experimental values for the spectral intensity and tabulated values for the view factor. The model/program developed was used to study the radiative heat flux inside the Main Combustion Chamber of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. For this system it was found that the combustor wall temperature had the greatest influence on the radiative heat flux, and the number of grid points used in the flow field and radiative transfer solutions have little effect on the total radiative heat flux.