Numerical Research of Capabilities of Flat Thermochemical Reactor as Element of a Hypersonic Flight Vehicle Heat Protection

摘要

Thermal protection of heat-stressed surfaces of a hypersonic flight vehicle (HFV) flying in dense layers of atmosphere with hypersonic velocities (M greater than or equal to 7) is now one of the most actual problems 1,2. In HFV developed under the 'Ajax' concept it is supposed that in the most heat- stressed parts of a skin and engine the chemical catalytic reactors will be placed in which the high endothermic processes of decomposition of initial hydrocarbon fuel with the help of steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane and its liquid homologues have to be implemented 3. Such organization of the process of thermochemical conversion of hydrocarbons onboard a flight vehicle (FV) will enable 4: - to increase a portion of useful usage of a FV power resource at the expense of a chemical recuperation of heat losses connected as with aerodynamic heating of a skin under the hypersonic flight conditions and power plant operation; - to increase cooling capability of fuel by means of physical-chemical transformations (heating vaporization endothermic reactions) of initial components; - to provide an active thermal protection (ATP) of heat- stressed parts of construction using not only heat removal by means of convection and radiation but also its absorption in a catalytic reaction run directly on the protected surface; - to influence positively on the conditions of a FV airflow-around at the expense of a skin construction cooling; - to obtain in reaction a synthesis gas (mixture of H2 and CO) which will be directed to the combustion chamber for improvement of a fuel combustion characteristics. Thermochemical reactors (TCR) of various kinds used as elements of a HFV thermal protection as usual should decide two problems.