Heat Exchange and Pressure Drop Enhanced by Sloshing

Abstract

For the prediction of heat transfer coupled with sloshing phenomena in the propellant tanks of reusable launch vehicle, the pressure drop induced by heat transfer and the dynamic motion of liquid in sub-scale vessels were experimentally observed and numerically investigated. The correlation between the pressure drop and liquid motion was confirmed in the experiment. The mechanisms enhancing heat transfer were discussed based on the computation. It was suggested that splash and wavy surface induced by violent motion of liquid cause the pressure drop in the closed vessel. In addition, as the preliminary investigation, non-isothermal sloshing of liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen were successfully visualized and pressure drop depending on the gaseous species was discussed.