CFD Performance Analysis of a Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Engine
Ashwin
Project Timeline
Jan 2024 - May-2024
OVERVIEW
Culminating Bachelor's Thesis evaluating the aerodynamic and propulsive efficiencies of a novel Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine for supersonic cruise missile applications. Designed a 3D model in Fusion 360 and conducted rigorous CFD simulations in Ansys Fluent at Mach 2, 3, and 4 to analyze terminal shock location and fluid mixing efficiency, comparing the results against standard ramjet performance.
HighlightS
Validated CFD methodology by replicating a peer-reviewed ramjet inlet study, matching pressure ratio to back ratio metrics with an error margin of less than 5%.
Simulated supersonic flow regimes at Mach 2, Mach 3, and Mach 4 using Ansys Fluent to pinpoint terminal shock locations within the inlet.
Analyzed complex multiphase mixing efficiencies between ram air, rocket plume, and fuel inside the combustion chamber to evaluate overall propulsive performance.
Processed and visualized aerodynamic data, including vorticity and shockwave behavior, utilizing MATLAB and Ansys.
SKILLS
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)Ansys FluentMATLABAutodesk Fusion 360AerodynamicsSupersonic Flow AnalysisPropulsion Systems
ADDITIONAL CONTENTS
Ashwin
Hi, I'm Ashwinraj. I'm an Aeronautical Engineering Master's student at Politecnico di Milano. I specialize in high-speed aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Previously, I served as the Team Leader and Head of Aerodynamics for the thrustMIT rocketry team, managing 40 members to achieve a successful 10,331-foot launch at the Spaceport America Cup. I also love the intersection of aerospace and code.
I won the FOSSHACK 3.0 hackathon by building a 6-DOF trajectory simulator in Python, and I'm currently diving deep into open-source solvers like OpenFOAM on my custom Linux machine. I'm actively looking for an internship where I can tackle complex, real-world aerospace problems.
Hi, I'm Ashwinraj. I'm an Aeronautical Engineering Master's student at Politecnico di Milano. I specialize in high-speed aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Previously, I served as the Team Leader and Head of Aerodynamics for the thrustMIT rocketry team, managing 40 members to achieve a successful 10,331-foot launch at the Spaceport America Cup. I also love the intersection of aerospace and code.
I won the FOSSHACK 3.0 hackathon by building a 6-DOF trajectory simulator in Python, and I'm currently diving deep into open-source solvers like OpenFOAM on my custom Linux machine. I'm actively looking for an internship where I can tackle complex, real-world aerospace problems.
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