Active cooling performance enhancement of supercritical hydrogen with arc-ribs for a hypersonic vehicle leading edge

The leading edge of a hypersonic vehicle is subjected to extremely high temperatures due to aerodynamic heating. Regenerative cooling, an active cooling method, uses onboard fuel to effectively absorb heat from the leading edge walls. This work numerically examines the thermal-hydraulic performance of supercritical hydrogen in regenerative cooling channels with arc-ribs for a hypersonic vehicle leading edge. The effects of parameters including leading edge wall heat flux (q_w), mass flow rate (ṁ), and pressure (P) on the thermal-hydraulic and heat transfer characteristics are investigated using C-shaped channels. Results indicate that arc-rib channels reduce wall temperatures by 9–28.7 % compared to smooth channels. Arc-rib channels significantly enhance cooling performance by achieving a much higher thermal-hydraulic performance factor than previously studied rib designs. Curvature-induced secondary flows and the formation of counter-rotating vortex pairs play a key role in enhancing heat transfer in curved channels. Arc-ribs effectively weaken thermal stratification by disrupting thermal boundary layer growth and altering near-wall flow characteristics and fluid properties. Arc-ribs increase turbulence and enhance flow mixing, which helps with convective heat transfer. However, they also cause a moderate pressure drop due to flow features such as flow separation and recirculation.