Performance analysis of a vortex chamber under non-reacting and reacting conditions

A series of non-reacting and reacting flow experiments are performed in a vortex combustion cold-wall (VCCW) chamber using gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen as propellants. Oxidizer is injected tangentially at the aft end of a combustion chamber from four ports. Hydrogen is injected axially from the top-centre of the chamber. The oxidizer to fuel mixture ratios considered for the experimental studies are in the range of 4.2-6.0 for non-reacting case, and 6.38 for reacting flow experiments. Numerical simulations under non-reacting conditions are conducted to understand the flow behaviour in the chamber at a mixture ratio of 4.2 considering the same propellants used in the experiment. Results from non-reacting flow cases indicated that the chamber pressure increased by 0.8 bar with an increase in the mixture ratio from 4.2 to 6.0. The chamber pressure developed under the reacting flow conditions is found to be higher by around 1.3 bar compared with the non-reacting flow condition. The oxidizer concentration is found to be higher along the inner chamber wall, thus limiting the wall surface temperature to 360 K in the reacting conditions.