On the thermo-structural response of a composite closeout in a regeneratively cooled thrust chamber

Composite materials could be very useful when applied to structural rocket engine components since they can allow significant weight savings thanks to their high specific strength and high specific stiffness. In the present work, a carbon fiber reinforced composite has been adopted to replace the typical heavy metallic closeout structure of a regeneratively cooled thrust chamber of a liquid rocket engine. The composite structure has been considered wrapped over the inner liner of the thrust chamber, made of copper alloys, and provides hoop strength for withstanding the fuel/coolant pressure in the cooling channels. The main aim of the paper is to investigate the influence of the geometry and the thermo-mechanical load on the structural response of the analyzed composite closeout. This study is expected to provide a better understanding of the physical phenomena occurring during the service life of the chamber together with an effective identification of the sizing loads that should be considered in the design phase of the closeout structure.