Large-Eddy Simulation of Vortex Shedding and Pressure Oscillations in Solid Rocket Motors
A three-dimensional high-fidelity numerical simulation of a small-scale solid rocket motor is carried out adopting the implicit large-eddy simulation (ILES) approach to investigate the coupling between vortex shedding and the acoustic modes of the motor chamber. The ONERA C1xb laboratory-scale model is considered at a firing time close to ignition, corresponding to a 3-mm-grain burned layer. The analysis focuses on the characterization of the unsteady pressure signature on the motor wall, with emphasis on the role played by turbulence on the level of pressure oscillations.