Comparative Numerical Study of Film Cooling Strategies for Thermal Protection of a Kerosene-Fueled Oblique Detonation Combustor

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Li, Jianghong, Yao, Songbai, Zhang, Wenwu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Li, Jianghong
Yao, Songbai
Zhang, Wenwu
author_facet Li, Jianghong
Yao, Songbai
Zhang, Wenwu
contents Thermal protection remains a critical challenge for oblique detonation engines (ODEs) operating under hypersonic conditions due to the extreme heat release and compact combustor geometry associated with oblique detonation waves (ODWs). In the present study, the effectiveness of film cooling for a kerosene-air ODE combustor is numerically investigated under a flight Mach number of 10 and an altitude of 15 km. Three active cooling strategies are considered, including air film cooling, gaseous-kerosene film cooling, and liquid-kerosene mist cooling. The results show that all cooling strategies preserve stable oblique-detonation propagation and maintain the canonical wave-system structure within the investigated operating range. Air cooling produces stronger disturbances near the initiation region and triple point, resulting in enhanced downstream wave interactions and larger propulsion penalties. In contrast, fuel-based cooling induces milder disturbances and better preserves the global detonation structure. All cooling methods substantially reduce the near-wall thermal load, although their cooling characteristics differ significantly. Gaseous-kerosene film cooling exhibits a spatially periodic near-wall thermal response associated with the discrete cooling hole arrangement, while liquid-kerosene mist cooling produces a smoother near-wall temperature distribution due to enhanced two-phase mixing and phase-change heat absorption. Among the investigated strategies, mist cooling provides the best overall balance between thermal protection and propulsion performance at coolant mass ratios of 1%-3%, whereas gaseous-kerosene film cooling becomes advantageous at higher injection levels due to improved wall coverage continuity. The present results demonstrate the feasibility and potential of fuel-based film cooling for thermal management in hypersonic ODE combustors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_05874
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Comparative Numerical Study of Film Cooling Strategies for Thermal Protection of a Kerosene-Fueled Oblique Detonation Combustor
Li, Jianghong
Yao, Songbai
Zhang, Wenwu
Fluid Dynamics
Thermal protection remains a critical challenge for oblique detonation engines (ODEs) operating under hypersonic conditions due to the extreme heat release and compact combustor geometry associated with oblique detonation waves (ODWs). In the present study, the effectiveness of film cooling for a kerosene-air ODE combustor is numerically investigated under a flight Mach number of 10 and an altitude of 15 km. Three active cooling strategies are considered, including air film cooling, gaseous-kerosene film cooling, and liquid-kerosene mist cooling. The results show that all cooling strategies preserve stable oblique-detonation propagation and maintain the canonical wave-system structure within the investigated operating range. Air cooling produces stronger disturbances near the initiation region and triple point, resulting in enhanced downstream wave interactions and larger propulsion penalties. In contrast, fuel-based cooling induces milder disturbances and better preserves the global detonation structure. All cooling methods substantially reduce the near-wall thermal load, although their cooling characteristics differ significantly. Gaseous-kerosene film cooling exhibits a spatially periodic near-wall thermal response associated with the discrete cooling hole arrangement, while liquid-kerosene mist cooling produces a smoother near-wall temperature distribution due to enhanced two-phase mixing and phase-change heat absorption. Among the investigated strategies, mist cooling provides the best overall balance between thermal protection and propulsion performance at coolant mass ratios of 1%-3%, whereas gaseous-kerosene film cooling becomes advantageous at higher injection levels due to improved wall coverage continuity. The present results demonstrate the feasibility and potential of fuel-based film cooling for thermal management in hypersonic ODE combustors.
title Comparative Numerical Study of Film Cooling Strategies for Thermal Protection of a Kerosene-Fueled Oblique Detonation Combustor
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.05874