American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 1 Design of an Experimental Campaign on Methane Regenerative Liquid Rocket Engine Cooling System R. Votta, F. Battista , M. Ferraiuolo, P. Roncioni, P. Vernillo, V. Salvatore and P. de Matteis CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Center), Capua, Italy The use of the Methane as coolant in a regenerative liquid rocket engine (LRE) presents some difficulties since transcritical fluidynamics operating conditions occur in the cooling channels. Transcritical conditions cause large fluid properties variation that strongly influences the coolant performance. The HYPROB program is carried out by CIRA under contract by the Italian Ministry of Research with the main objective to improve National system and technology capabilities on liquid rocket engines for future space applications, with specific regard to LOx/LCH4 technology. Among its objectives are the design and development of technology LRE demonstrators, including a specific breadboard based on an electrical heating to validate numerical methodologies and to improve the understanding of relevant physics of methane thermal properties in transcritical conditions. Nomenclature AR = Aspect Ratio BB = Breadboard CFD = Computational Fluid Dynamic FEM = Finite Element Method q = Heat Flux GCH4 = Gaseous Methane LCH4 = Liquid Methane LOX = Liquid Oxygen LRE = Liquid Rocket Engines MTP = Methane Thermal Properties SAF = Safety Factor, ratio between real stress and allowable stress I. Introduction A. HYPROB Program he HYPROB 1,2 program is carried out by CIRA under contract by the Italian Ministry of Research with the main objective to improve National system and technology capabilities on liquid rocket engines (LRE) for future space applications, with specific regard to LOx/LCH 4 technology. The HYPROB Program strategic objectives and the overall development plan have been set in a preliminary step, based on interactions with the institutional, industrial and scientific stakeholders. This step was completed in early 2011 with a Concept if Operation review. The main outcome of this step was to maintain the focus on both liquid oxygen-methane (LOX/LCH4) and hybrid technologies based, in order to harmonise and consolidate the national heritage from previous R&D activities. In this respect, the program Road Map pursues a mid-term goal, in the time frame 2011-2015, related to the assessment of system capabilities and technologies at demonstration level, based on a technology-push approach, and a longer term goal, to be pursued in the time frame 2015-2017 and beyond, where those technologies will be devoted a specific space application, based on a system-driven approach. In the mid-term perspective, for both liquid and hybrid developments, the focus is put on: development of technology demonstrators, including intermediate breadboards; development of R&D activities in relevant technology areas; T Downloaded by ITALIAN CENTER FOR on December 20, 2013 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/6.2013-4146 49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference July 14 - 17, 2013, San Jose, CA AIAA 2013-4146