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2025 Vol.30, Issue 3 Preview Page

Research Article

Numerical Investigation of Regression Rate and Combustion Characteristics of Solid Fuel Using Counterflow Combustion Simulations

대향류 연소 해석을 통한 고체연료의 후퇴율 및 연소 특성 예측에 관한 연구

Eunchong Kim1
,
Lin Yun1
,
Hyung Sub Sim2†
김 은총1
,
윤 린1
,
심 형섭2†
1Department of Aerospace Systems Engineering, Graduate School, Sejong University
2Department of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
1세종대학교 대학원 우주항공시스템공학과
2한국과학기술원 항공우주공학과
*Corresponding Author
30 September 2025. pp. 11-17
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Abstract

This study investigates the regression rate and combustion characteristics of solid fuel using a simple one-dimensional counterflow diffusion flame analysis. A coupled computational framework was developed by integrating gas-phase and condensed-phase reaction models. Simulation results were validated using regression rates from counterflow combustion experiments. Furthermore, the effects of oxygen concentration, ambient pressure, and oxidizer momentum flux on the combustion behaviors of solid fuel were systematically examined. The predicted regression rates showed good agreement with experimental data across the range of conditions tested in this study, although discrepancies were observed at lower pressures. An increase in oxygen concentration, ambient pressure, and oxidizer momentum flux was found to enhance the regression rate. In particular, the increase in momentum flux and pressure shifts the peak temperature location closer to the fuel surface. This proximity intensifies heat feedback to the solid surface, thereby accelerating the pyrolysis process and increasing the regression rate. Furthermore, the correlation analysis identified the oxygen mass fraction as the most influential of the three examined parameters affecting the regression rate. These findings offer fundamental insight into the pyrolysis and combustion of solid fuel relevant to air-breathing solid fuel propulsion systems.

Keywords
Counterflow combustion
Solid fuel
Regression rate
Combustion characteristics
Pyrolysis modeling
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Combustion
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국연소학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국연소학회지
  • Volume : 30
  • No :3
  • Pages :11-17
  • Received Date : 2025-06-22
  • Revised Date : 2025-07-14
  • Accepted Date : 2025-07-14
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.15231/jksc.2025.30.3.011
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