Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine

Song, Jie; Zhang, Dongdong; Cui, Peng; Wang, Lin; Tang, Yanhui; Liu, Xiangyi

doi:10.3390/aerospace13070593

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Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine

by

Jie Song

¹,

Dongdong Zhang

^2,*,

Peng Cui

³,

Lin Wang

¹,

Yanhui Tang

¹ and

Xiangyi Liu

¹

School of Basic Sciences for Aviation, Naval Aviation University, Yantai 264001, China

²

College of Aerospace Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

³

Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications Technology, Beijing 100094, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Aerospace 2026, 13(7), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070593

Submission received: 28 May 2026 / Revised: 23 June 2026 / Accepted: 29 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Speed Aircraft and Engine Design)

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Abstract

This study presents a novel one-dimensional solution method to demonstrate the effects of fuel composition and channel roughness on phase-change heat transfer in spiral regenerative cooling systems. The calculated models are grounded in an experimental correlation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) flow boiling, and their accuracy is validated through ignition experiments conducted on a 1 kg/s-class thrust chamber. The experimental data shows that the physical characteristics of LNG contribute to an extended reach within the two-phase region, resulting in a calculated pressure drop that exceeds that of pure liquid methane. Variations in surface roughness influence the pressure drop by altering the frictional coefficient. Specifically, an increase in surface roughness from 2 µm to 8 µm results in a 47.8% rise in pressure drop. The proposed model demonstrates high accuracy, with deviations in the coolant temperature rise and the pressure drop being less than 9.0% and 7.6%, respectively, when compared to experimental data. The findings serve as an engineering guide for designing and optimizing heat transfer in LOX/LNG rocket engine cooling systems.

Keywords: LOX/LNG rocket engine; regenerative cooling; subcritical heat transfer; fuel composition; channel roughness

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MDPI and ACS Style

Song, J.; Zhang, D.; Cui, P.; Wang, L.; Tang, Y.; Liu, X. Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine. Aerospace 2026, 13, 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070593

AMA Style

Song J, Zhang D, Cui P, Wang L, Tang Y, Liu X. Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine. Aerospace. 2026; 13(7):593. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070593

Chicago/Turabian Style

Song, Jie, Dongdong Zhang, Peng Cui, Lin Wang, Yanhui Tang, and Xiangyi Liu. 2026. "Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine" Aerospace 13, no. 7: 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070593

APA Style

Song, J., Zhang, D., Cui, P., Wang, L., Tang, Y., & Liu, X. (2026). Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine. Aerospace, 13(7), 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070593

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Investigation on Subcritical Regenerative Cooling for Ignition Experiments on LOX/LNG Rocket Engine

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