Computational Investigation on the Effect of Chamber Length on RDRE Performance

In this study, we examine the effect of chamber length on the performance and operation of non-premixed rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). The ability to reduce the overall engine size is an attractive feature of the RDRE compared to traditional liquid rocket engines (LRE). It is not known what the optimal chamber size is. Existing literature in this area has primarily focused on premixed simulations and has reached differing conclusions about the relative importance of chamber length for engine performance. To resolve this outstanding issue, we employ high-fidelity large eddy simulations to examine the effect of chamber length on RDRE performance by simulating a baseline chamber and two shorter chambers: 75\% and 62.5\% of the baseline length. Results show that similar performance can be achieved with shorter chambers, with minimal impact on performance. Changing the chamber length alters the device's behavior, but these differences are minor and do not detract from the savings in mass.