Second Paper: Experiments on a Transpiration Cooled Combustion Chamber

Abstract

The first part of an experimental and theoretical investigation into the feasibility of transpiration cooled combustion chambers is discussed, as well as the design and testing of two Rolls-Royce ‘Dart’ porous flame tubes. The theory of heat transfer in porous materials is briefly described and correlations for heat transfer and pressure drop-mass flow are presented for selected samples of porous metal. Experimental results are presented in which the cooling efficiency of the original ‘Dart’ splash-cooled flame tube is compared with two porous replacements constructed from sintered woven wire porous metal compacts having different permeabilities. Tests were conducted at 1 and 4 atm pressure and some selected results are compared with theoretical predictions made with and without account being taken of the effect of coolant injection on the convective heat flux. The high effectiveness of transpiration cooling is clearly demonstrated but it is also shown that the distribution of static pressure in the annulus formed between the flame tube and the casing, both longitudinally and circumferentially, plays a very important part in the design of a porous flame tube.