Modelling and simulation methodology of channel cooling using hydrocarbon fuel as coolant under supercritical pressures

A one-dimensional cooling channel model is proposed using unsteady partial differential equations (PDEs) and taking into account the strong dependencies of hydrocarbon fuel properties on temperature and pressure. The model can be used to evaluate the performance of channel cooling using hydrocarbon fuel as coolant under supercritical pressures, and to guide the design of a thermal protection system for aerospace application. Meanwhile, a graphical simulation method is developed to directly solve the proposed model using Simulink by converting the PDE to a set of ordinary differential equations without any need to write program codes. The graphical method can reduce the substantive work resulting from program codes writing and debugging and bring about interactions with users through its graphical user interface. In order to show the usability of the proposed model and the developed graphical method, n-pentane, a typical hydrocarbon fuel, is taken as an example to run two simulations for steady and transient calculations. The developed graphical simulator for channel cooling is verified by comparing the calculation results with the experimental data of an electrical heating tube. It is believed that this investigation will pave the way for implementation of the graphical simulation of the whole cooled propulsion system used for supersonic or hypersonic flights.