An experimental and modelling study of heat loads on a subscale methane rocket motor

Given growing competition in the business space launch market, more researchers are evaluating the merit of methane as a potential propellant. In this study, a rocket combustion chamber with a single coaxial shear injector is tested. Gaseous oxygen and gaseous methane are employed in the hot firing tests at 2 MPa and a mass ratio of oxidizer to fuel of 2.65. Along the chamber axis, the wall temperatures are recorded; an inverse heat conduction...