Design of a Small Methane-Oxygen Rocket Engine

This study focuses on the design and analysis of a small methane-oxygen rocket engin^*e intended for educational purposes. The initial phase involves numerical simulations to estimate key operational parameters of the combustion chamber, such as velocity and pressure distributions, providing a foundation for further optimization. Simulations without combustion were used to refine the geometry, while combustion simulations validated the chamber’s ability to ensure effective fuel-oxidizer mixing and stable combustion. A computational grid with millions of polyhedral elements enabled accurate flow and thermal analyses. Future work will include heat transfer calculations, injector optimization, and transient simulations to investigate dynamic phenomena like shock waves and oscillations. This approach combines cost-effective virtual development with practical learning offering students valuable insight into modern rocket engine design.