Structural and Fatigue Analysis of a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine

Rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) are subject to fatigue limits given detonation wave passing frequencies in the 5-40 kHz range as observed by numerous groups conducting combustion research. In this work, a finite element method (FEM) model is developed to examine the structural and fatigue response for a critical component of a RDRE. A section of the combustor liner, built from oxygen-free high conductivity (OFHC) C110 copper, is analyzed to take advantage of part symmetry. The analysis is separated into ABAQUS/standard and ABAQUS/explicit simulations to consider the steady state and time-dependent pressure loads on the combustor liner, respectively. A critical plane approach is then used to estimate the fatigue life of the liner based on experimental fatigue data. The fatigue life correlations may be improved through the availability of experimental data closer to RDRE operating conditions and progressively complex structural models.