Numerical Calculation of Infrared Radiation Characteristics of Rocket Engine Exhaust Plume in Boost Phase

doi:10.12382/bgxb.2023.0546

Abstract

Abstract:

Rocket engine exhaust plume during the boost phase is a main object captured by space-based infrared early warning systems due to its significant infrared radiation features. A tripropellant solid rocket engine is taken as the research object. The calculation models of exhaust plume flow fields in continuous and rare regimes are established.The flight trajectory is determined considering the two-stage boost phase.The design parameters of engines are evaluated by the reverse optimization method, and the calculation of flow field is simplified by using an equivalent single nozzle method.The infrared radiation characteristics of rocket exhaust plume are predicted based on the statistical narrow band method and the line-of-sight approach.The results show that the afterburning effect makes the infrared radiation intensity of the plume increase by about 20 times and the in-band radiance increase by about 10 times. There exist two characteristic peaks in 2.7μm and 4.3μm bands in the infrared spectrum of exhaust plume. The spectral intensity of low-altitude exhaust plume is relatively high, and the integrated intensity within different spectral bands exhibits fluctuation patterns and trough region with the increase in altitude. The difference of the in-band radiances of exhaust plume in the boost phase is up to three orders of magnitude, especially in 4.3μm band.This work can provide a theoretical reference for the detection and recognition of rocket in the boost phase.

Key words: rocket engine, tripropellant, boost phase, exhaust plume, infrared radiation

CLC Number:

TN219

ZHANG Teng, NIU Qinglin, LIU Yunfeng, GAO Wenqiang, DONG Shikui. Numerical Calculation of Infrared Radiation Characteristics of Rocket Engine Exhaust Plume in Boost Phase[J]. Acta Armamentarii, 2024, 45(7): 2228-2239.

Figures/Tables 15

Fig.1 Comparison of supersonic jet schlieren test and numerically calculated results(upper: test schlieren imaging result, and below: CFD simulated result)

Fig.2 Comparison of calculated spectral intensities of Black Brant plume

Fig.3 Computational domain and grid distributions

Fig.4 Temperatures of exhaust plume on axis under different grid numbers

Table 1 Performance parameters of 1st and 2nd stage engines[2]

一级或二级	编号	推进剂质量/ kg	推进剂配比	发动机质量比	地面比冲/ (N·s·kg^-1)	真空比冲/ (N·s·kg^-1)	喷管数量	喷管膨胀比	最大推力/ kN	工作时间/ s	燃烧室压力/ MPa	喷口直径/ m	喉部直径/ m
一级	M55A-1	20800	70%AP 14%HTBN 16%Al	0.915	2316	2626	4	10	912	61.6	4.923	0.5580	0.1968
二级	SR19-AJ-1	6426	70%AP 14%CTPB 16%Al	0.886	2471	2823	1	24.8	270	65.2	3.109	1.2195	0.2449

Table 2 Parameters of nozzle exit plane

性能参数	T/K	p/MPa	Ma	CO₂ 摩尔分数 $Y C O 2$	CO摩尔分数 Y_CO	H₂摩尔分数 $Y H 2$	H₂O摩尔分数 $Y H 2 O$	HCl摩尔分数 Y_HCl	H摩尔分数 Y_H	OH摩尔分数 Y_OH	N₂摩尔分数 $Y N 2$	Al₂O₃摩尔分数 $Y A l 2 O 3$
一级	2119.87	0.07383	3.027	0.01833	0.21360	0.31744	0.13641	0.15112	0.00222	0.00013	0.08433	0.07560
二级	1807.70	0.01441	3.599	0.02046	0.24545	0.32193	0.10326	0.15415	0.00055	0.00001	0.07718	0.07681

Table 2 Parameters of nozzle exit plane

性能参数	T/K	p/MPa	Ma	CO₂ 摩尔分数 $Y C O 2$	CO摩尔分数 Y_CO	H₂摩尔分数 $Y H 2$	H₂O摩尔分数 $Y H 2 O$	HCl摩尔分数 Y_HCl	H摩尔分数 Y_H	OH摩尔分数 Y_OH	N₂摩尔分数 $Y N 2$	Al₂O₃摩尔分数 $Y A l 2 O 3$
一级	2119.87	0.07383	3.027	0.01833	0.21360	0.31744	0.13641	0.15112	0.00222	0.00013	0.08433	0.07560
二级	1807.70	0.01441	3.599	0.02046	0.24545	0.32193	0.10326	0.15415	0.00055	0.00001	0.07718	0.07681

Fig.5 Boost-phase trajectory

Table 3 Flow parameters for representative ballistic points

T/s	H/km	v/(m·s^-1)	T/K	p/Pa
34	10	690	223.252	26499.9
48	20	1150	216.65	5529.31
58	30	1590	226.509	1197.03
67	40	1795	250.35	287.144
77	50	2080	270.65	79.7791
85	60	2359	247.021	21.9587
93	70	2683	219.585	5.2209
99	80	2982	198.639	1.05247
106	90	3327	186.867	0.183593
112	100	3730	195.081	0.0320113
118	110	4120	240	0.00710407
123	120	4630	360	0.00253827

Fig.6 Temperature contours of exhaust plume atdifferent altitudes

Fig.7 Contours of CO2 mole fraction of exhaust plume at different altitudes

Fig.8 Spectral radiation intensities of exhaust plume with afterburning at different altitudes

Fig.9 Incremental profiles of spectral radiation intensity with afterburning

Fig.10 Integrated radiances of exhaust plume without afterburning

Fig.11 Integrated radiances of exhaust plume with afterburning

Fig.12 Intrinsic radiation intensity contours of plume in 2.7μm (left) and 4.3μm (right) bands at representative altitudes

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