Thermomechanical Optimization of Actively Cooled Nozzles for Ground Test

The longevity and performance of high-enthalpy hypersonic wind tunnels are constrained by the thermal and mechanical limits imposed on internal structures which are subjected to extreme gas-side heating. This paper introduces a thermomechanical optimization model for the design of convection cooling channels that dynamically adapt their geometry across the nozzle contour. The model discretizes the nozzle into axial segments, applying a resistive thermal network within each segment to capture two-dimensional heat transfer through the wall. A Picard iteration scheme is utilized to reconcile the predicted gas-side heat flux with the resulting thermal response of the wall. Once the consistent temperature profile is established, superimposed thermal and bending loads are checked against material limits. This framework is applied to candidate materials, including Inc-718, GRCop-84 and C103, across a range of coolant flow rates. Results demonstrate the model’s ability to converge on viable cooling configurations that simultaneously satisfy all thermal and structural criteria for steady state high-enthalpy ground tests.