Nozzles

Reference:
Chapter 10 in Eastop et al book

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 Introduction
• Devices of varying cross-sectional area used for the purpose of guiding
the expansion of a fluid to a relatively high velocity.

P2 < P1 P2 > P1
C2 > C1 C2 < C1

• During flow through nozzle the enthalpy drops and the heat drop in
expansion is spent in increasing the velocity of fluid.

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 Types of flow
• Flow is classified based upon Mach number (M):

Velocity of fluid
M
Velocity of sound

M < 1: Flow is called subsonic flow.

M = 1: Flow is called sonic flow.

M > 1: Flow is called supersonic flow.

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 Types of Nozzles

1
Convergent nozzle: 2

1
Divergent nozzle: 2

Convergent-divergent nozzle:

1 2

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 Theory of flow
• Law of conservation of energy: Flow process
1 2 1 2
gz1  C1  U1  p1V1  Q  gz 2  C2  U 2  p2V2  W
2 2
1 2 1 2
gz1  C1  h1  Q  gz 2  C2  h2  W
2 2
• As the flow is very rapid – assume adiabatic expansion (Q = 0).
• No work done during the flow (W = 0).
• Inlet velocity assumed small compared to exit velocity (may be
neglected).
C2  2(h1  h2 ) (C2 = Exit velocity)

• For a perfect gas:

h1  h2  Cp T1  T2 

Therefore: C2  2Cp(T1  T2 )

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 Critical pressure ratio and Maximum
discharge
• For maximum discharge per unit area:

Pt  2   1 The critical pressure ratio, where, Pt is the
  
P1    1  critical pressure and P1 is the inlet pressure
Tt  2 
 
T1    1 
And the critical temperature ratio,

• At the throat:
Ct  2( h1  ht ) Or Ct  2Cp (T1  Tt ) (For a perfect gas)

• The critical velocity (throat velocity) can be written as:

Ct  RTt

• A nozzle operating with maximum mass flow rate condition is called

choked flow nozzle.

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 Example 1 (Gas nozzle)

Air at 860 kPa and 190°C expands at the rate of 4.5 kg/s through a
convergent-divergent nozzle into a space where the pressure is 103 kPa.
Assuming that the inlet velocity may be neglected, calculate the
necessary throat and exit cross-sectional areas of the nozzle. For air take
gamma = 1.4 and R = 287 J/kg.K.

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 Nozzle efficiency
Flow through steam nozzle:
Flow through gas nozzle: T-S diagram
Mollier diagram

2´
2´

• Friction between fluid and nozzle; and within the fluid → irreversible
• Fluid friction results in:
- Internal reheating of the fluid
- Increase in entropy
- Smaller drop in enthalpy → loss of velocity
• Occur between the throat and exit in convergent-divergent nozzle.
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 Nozzle efficiency
• Fluid friction effects are accounted for by a nozzle efficiency:

Actual enthalpy drop h h

η nozzle   1 2
Isentropic enthalpy drop h1  h 2
• The equation for ideal exit velocity: C  2(h  h )
2 1 2

becomes, C 2  2η nozzle (h1  h 2 )

• For a perfect gas:

C p T1  T2  T1 T 2
η nozzle  
C p T1  T2  T1  T2

C 2  2C p (T1  T2 )η nozzle
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 Example 2 (Gas nozzle)

A certain gas (R = 196 J/kg.K and gamma = 1.29) flows through a

convergent–divergent nozzle whose exit area is 18.26 cm2. The inlet
conditions are 700 kPa and 32°C and the gas expands to 560 kPa at exit.
The nozzle efficiency is 92% and the inlet velocity is negligible. What are:

(a) The exit temperatures, specific volume and velocity

(b) The rate of flow

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 Steam nozzles
• The equation for pressure ratio:
γ
Pt  2  γ 1
   (Valid only for gases )
P1  γ  1 

n
• For steam: Pt  2  n 1
 
P1  n  1 
• An approximation can be made for steam using the following values
for n instead of gamma:
- For steam initially superheated, n = 1.3

- For steam initially dry saturated, n = 1.135

x
- For steam initially wet, n = 1.035 + , where x is the initial dryness
10

fraction of the steam.

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 Example 3 (Steam nozzle)

Calculate the throat area and exit area for a steam nozzle to pass a mass
of 0.2 kg/s when the inlet conditions are 1 MPa and 250°C, and the exit
pressure is 200 kPa.

(a) Assume that the expansion is isentropic and that the inlet velocity is
negligible.

(b) How would the calculated values change for a nozzle efficiency of
93%?

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