Cryogenics
2021

Transient Modelling of Pressure-Controlled Propellant Crossfeed for Liquid Rocket

C. Li^a,b, Y.W. Cheng^a,b, N. Wang^a, D.H. Wu^a, Y.Z. Li^a
aXi’an Jiaotong University, Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering, Xi’an, 710049, China
^bState Key Laboratory of Technologies in Space Cryogenic Propellants, Beijing, 100028, China

摘要：

This paper presents the modeling results of a pressure-controlled tank-to-manifold propellant cross-feed system for liquid rockets. A transient dynamic model has been developed based on the bond graph theory using AMESim software, and the predicted pressure and flow rate histories are in good agreement with experimental data. The simulation results indicate that the pressure-controlled tank-to-manifold crossfeed system requires a critical pressure to guarantee the zero consumption of orbiter propellant before booster separation, and is subject to flow transients when the crossflow is terminated. In comparison with the water fluid, liquid oxygen crossfeed has a higher critical pressure and a far more transient nature characterized by significantly aggravated priming pressure surges and high-intensity water hammer oscillations. High sensitivity to the cross-valve characteristic is found, and the equal-percentage and linear valves are recommended for the crossfeed system to avoid cavitation and to alleviate the flow transients by at least an order of magnitude.