A one-dimensional analysis of low frequency combustion instability in the fuel preburner of the space shuttle main engines

Author

Kair Chuan Lim

Date of Award

8-1986

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aerospace Engineering

Major Professor

P. E. George II

Committee Members

J. W. Hogson, W. S. Johnson

Abstract

Low frequency combustion instability, known as chugging, is consistently experienced during shutdown in the fuel and oxidizer preburners of the Space Shuttle Main Engines. Such problems always occur during the helium purge of the residual oxidizer from the preburner manifolds during the shutdown sequence. Possible causes and triggering mechanisms are analyzed and details in modeling the fuel preburner chug are presented in this thesis. A linearized chugging model, based on the foundation of previous models, capable of predicting the chug occurrence is discussed and the predicted results are presented and compared to experimental work performed by NASA. Sensitivity parameters such as chamber pressure, fuel and oxidizer temperatures and the effective bulk modulus of the liquid oxidizer are considered in analyzing the fuel preburner chug. The computer program CHUGTEST is utilized to generate the stability boundary for each sensitivity study and the region for stable operation is identified.

Recommended Citation

Lim, Kair Chuan, "A one-dimensional analysis of low frequency combustion instability in the fuel preburner of the space shuttle main engines. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1986.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/13741