Fundamental Boiling and RP-1 Freezing Experiments

Abstract

The prestart thermal conditioning of the hardware in LOX (liquid oxygen) systems involve heat transfer between LOX and metal where boiling plays a large role. Information is easily found on nucleate boiling, maximum heat flux, minimum heat flux and film boiling for common fluids like water. After looking at these standard correlations it was felt more data was needed for the cool down side transition boiling for the LN2 and LOX. In particular interest is the film boiling values, the temperature at which transition begins and the slope as peak heat flux is approached. The ultimate goal is an array of boiling heat transfer coefficient as a function of surface temperature which can be used in the chilldown model of the feed system, engine and bleed system for X-34. The first experiment consisted of an actual MC-1 LOX Impeller which had been machined backwards, that was instrumented with 17 surface thermocouples and submerged in liquid nitrogen. The thermocouples were installed on metal thicknesses varying from the thin inducer to the thick hub.