Feasibility of a Cooling System Using Liquid Film Evaporation in Axial Gap Motors for Electrifying Liquid Rocket Engines

抄録

This study proposed and evaluated a cooling system that uses liquid film evaporation for high heat flux environments on a heated rotating disk, such as the axial gap motor (AGM) used in liquid rocket engines. Cooling conditions to avoid demagnetization of the rotor were evaluated through heat conduction simulations of the rotor, and the liquid film thickness required to achieve sufficient cooling power was investigated. Furthermore, the effects of different coolants on cooling power were investigated. The results showed that the required heat transfer coefficient depended on the coolant, and a liquid film with a thickness of a few micrometers was required for effectively cooling AGMs in rocket engines. Additionally, depending on the heat generation rate, even evaporative cooling may fail to easily cool AGMs in rocket engines. Therefore, technologies to reduce the heat generation rate in the motor are required.