Numerical simulation of flow and heat transfer of n-decane in composite tube under supercritical pressure

As scramjet propulsion systems face big challenges in thermal protection performance, regenerative cooling techniques have been proposed to improve heat transfer behavior. This study introduced a novel design of composite cooling channel with bends and conducted computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze the flow characteristics, heat transfer behavior, and pyrolysis of hydrocarbon fuel within the tube. Results show that the presence of bends significantly enhances heat transfer, leading to an increased temperature and conversion. The composite tube with 15 bends demonstrated a 19.9% increase in conversion rate compared to the straight tube. Hence, proper structure design can improve the regenerative cooling performance which may promote the development of scramjet propulsion systems.