Rocket Propulsion

Ujjwal K. Saha
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Guwahati-781 039, India
E-mail: saha@iitg.ac.in
o Ducted Rockets
o Air Turbo Rockets
o Nuclear Rockets
o Electrical Rockets
o Solar Thermal Rockets

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Ducted Rocket (Air augmented Rocket)
• Combines the principles of rocket & ramjet engines
• Gives high performance (Isp) than a chemical rocket
within earth’s atmosphere

Two propulsion system with a common combustion

chamber operate in sequence.
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Air Turbo Rockets

 An air-breathing propulsion system, combining

advantages from both rocket and turbojet
technologies.

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Air Turbo Rockets
 A gas generator produces high pressure, fuel-rich
effluent which drives a turbine. The turbine drives a
compressor which compresses incoming air.

 The air and fuel-rich effluent mix and burn in the

combustion chamber to produce thrust.
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 The engine well suited for long-range and high-
speed applications. Applications include first-
stage air-breathing boosters for space launch
applications.

 The thrust-to-weight ratio of the ATR is higher than

a turbojet engine while the propellant
consumption rate is lower than a rocket.
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Nuclear Rockets

Nuclear for delivering heat to the propellant

Energy usually liquid hydrogen, and then
expanded in nozzle to produce
Sources
high velocity jet (6000-10,000 m/s).

Fission Reactor Rocket

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Fission Reactor Rocket

Heat Fission of Uranium

Generation (in solid reactor material)

transferred to the working fluid

High Thrust Engine, F = 40,000 N

Specific Impulse, ISP = 900 sec.

Developed & tested : 1960

Ground test with hydrogen produced 9, 80, 000 N at
a graphite core nuclear reactor level of 4100 MW
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Electrical Rockets

 Electro-thermal Rockets: Propellant is heated electrically

and expanded thermodynamically in a nozzle.
• Arc-heating Rockets
• Resistojet

 Electrostatic Rockets: Acceleration is achieved by the

interaction of electrostatic fields on non-neutral or charged
propellant particles.
• Ion Rockets

 Electromagnetic Rockets: Acceleration is achieved by the

interaction of electric and magnetic fields within a plasma.
• Magnetoplasma dynamic Thruster (MPD)

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Arc-heating Rockets
 Here, the propellant is heated electrically (by electric arcs)
and the hot gas is then accelerated through a nozzle.

 Typical F = 0.01 to 0.5 N, with Ve = 1000 to 5000 m/sec.

 NH4, H2, N2, and N2H4 decomposition product gases have
been used as propellants.
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Resistojet

Thermal limitation of filament

limits ISP = 800 secs Hydrazine resisto-jet
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Ion Rockets
 In an ion rocket, a working fluid is ionized (by stripping
off electrons), and then the electrically charged heavy
ions are accelerated to very high velocities (2000 to
60,000 m/sec) by means of electrostatic fields.

 The ions are subsequently electrically neutralized to

prevent the buildup of a space charge on the vehicle.

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Magnetoplasma Dynamic (MPD) Thruster

In MPD rocket, an electrical plasma (an energized hot gas

containing ions, electrons, and neutral particles) is
accelerated by the interaction between electric currents
and magnetic fields and ejected at high velocity (1000 to
50,000 m/sec).

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Electrical Rockets

In all electric propulsion, the source of the electric

power (nuclear, solar radiation receivers, or
batteries) is physically separate from the
mechanism that produces the thrust.

This type of propulsion has been handicapped by

heavy and inefficient power sources.

The thrust usually is low, typically 0.005 to 1 N. In

order to allow a significant increase in the vehicle
velocity, it is necessary to apply the low thrust and
thus a small acceleration for a long time (weeks
or months).
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
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Solar Thermal Rockets
A solar thermal rocket only has to carry the means of
capturing solar energy, such as concentrators and
mirrors.

The heated propellant is fed through a conventional

rocket nozzle to produce thrust.
The engine thrust is directly related to the surface area of
the solar collector and to the local intensity of the solar
radiation.
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Solar Thermal Rockets
Most proposed designs for solar thermal rockets use
hydrogen as their propellant due to its low molecular weight
which gives excellent specific impulse (900 seconds), but
many other substances could also be used.

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
 Specific Impulse

• Specific Impulse (Isp) is the gas mileage

• Chemical: Solid Isp = 200-300 sec

Liquid Isp= 250-450 sec

• Electrical: Isp = 600-3000 sec

• Nuclear: Fission Isp = 900 sec (solid)

Fusion Isp = 5000-10000 sec

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
 References
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U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

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E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
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