Research Projects

LOX/Methane propellant combination is one of the most suitable solutions for future liquid rocket engines, due to good performances achievable in terms of specific impulse combined with operation advantages, such as storability, low toxicity, availability and production cost. Another reason to pursue the development of LOX/Methane propulsion systems is the potential for in-situ resource utilization during inter-planetary missions. Due to these advantages, ISRO is developing LOX/Methane engine for its future launch vehicles. For cooling the thrust chamber, Methane is to be used for both regenerative and film coolant. However Methane is an inferior coolant as compared to hydrogen and methane properties shows large variations in its operating regime due to two phase flow in the coolant channels. This calls for detail modelling (considering proper reaction steps, species and reaction rates) of two phase flow of coolant in regenerative coolant channels, participation of film coolant combustion (effective film coolant layer thickness) and conjugate heat transfer from combustion products to chamber inner wall through film cooling layer.