Rocket Propulsion

Ujjwal K. Saha
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Guwahati-781 039, India
E-mail: saha@iitg.ac.in
Pe > Pa

Pe< Pa
Pe > Pa

Pe< Pa
Pe > Pa
Nozzle Shapes

Pe > Pa

Pe< Pa

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Conical Nozzles

 Oldest/simplest
 Easy to fabricate (still in use)

 There is a loss of thrust (due to non-parallel discharge)

caused by momentum loss by radial component.

 A theoretical correction factor () is applied to the nozzle

exit momentum of an ideal rocket with conical nozzle
exhaust.
  1 1  cos    = semi-divergence angle
2

 F   mv2   p2  p3  A2

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Conical Nozzles
For an ideal rocket, 
  0   1
Usually,
Depends upon specific
  12 18 application and flight path.
Bell-shaped or Contour Nozzles

 Mostly used
 Gives an axial discharge
 10

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Length Comparison of Nozzles

L
Dt

G. V. R. Rao, Recent Development in Rocket Nozzle Configurations, Journal of American Rocket

Society, Vol. 31, Number 11, November 1961. Library of Congress call number TL 780.A613
Two-step Nozzles – Modifications of Bell-shaped Nozzles
Two-step Nozzles – Modifications of Bell-shaped Nozzles
Plug or Aerospike Nozzle

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Expansion-deflection Nozzle

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
 Multiple Nozzle Grid

M J Hyder, M K Hayat, 2018, Evaluation of thrust from a multi-nozzle output device with single input, 15th
International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technology, January 9-13, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Principal Losses – Real Nozzles

 The divergent section causes a loss for a conical

nozzle. This is overcome by employing a bell-shaped
nozzle contours.

 Lower flow velocity in the boundary layer (or wall

friction) reduces the effective exhaust velocity by 0.5
to 1.5%.

 Chemical reactions in the nozzle flow changes the

gas properties and gas temperature (loss of 0.5%).

 Unsteady combustion and oscillating flow contributes

a small amount of loss.

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Principal Losses – Real Nozzles

 There is a lower performance during start, stop or

pulsing.

 Non-uniform gas composition (due to incomplete

mixing, turbulence or incomplete combustion) can
reduce performance.

 Using real gas properties ( and m ) can at times

change the gas composition, and this can cause a
small loss (0.2 to 0.7%).

 Operation at non-optimum nozzle expansion area

ratio can reduce thrust and specific impulse. There is
no loss at optimum condition.

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
Correction Factors
Used to estimate the test performance data from
theoretical/calculated values.

Energy Conversion Efficiency

 v2   v2 
2 2
e a a
 1 
  
2
v2  p   
i 2 R T1 1   2  
 1   p1  
 
 
(a) Velocity Correction Factor

 I sp 
v  e a (0.85 to 0.99)
 Isp  i
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
(b) Discharge Correction Factor

ma ma  Some heat is transferred to the

d   nozzle walls. This lowers the
mi p1 At / c temperature, and increases the
density and mass flow slightly.
d  1  ma  mi   Incomplete combustion can
increase the density and hence
the mass flow.

(c) Thrust Correction Factor

 F  Fa  Fa
Fi CF p1At
 Fa   F CF pc At
Fa ma v2a
F     d  v   0.92 to 1
Fi mi v2i
U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India
E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
 References
1. G. P. Sutton and O. Biblarz, Rocket Propulsion Elements, Wiley, 2010.
2. T. A. Ward, Aerospace Propulsion Systems, Wiley, 2010.
3. P. A. Sforza, Theory of Aerospace Propulsion, Elsevier-BH, 2017.
4. R. W. Humble, G. N. Henry, W. J. Larson, Space Propulsion Analysis and Design, McGraw Hill, 1995.
5. J. J. Sellers, Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, McGraw Hill, 2005.
6. J. D. Anderson, Jr., Introduction to Flight, McGraw Hill, 2000.
7. K. Ramamurthi, Rocket Propulsion, Macmillan Publishers India Ltd, 2010.
8. Charles D. Brown, Elements of Spacecraft Design, AIAA Education Series, 2002.
9. P. G. Hill and C. R. Peterson, Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, Addison Wesley, 1965.
10. G. C. Oates, Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine and Rocket Propulsion, AIAA, 1988.
11. M. L. Turner, Rocket and Spacecraft Propulsion, Springer, 2009.
12. D. K. Huzel, and D. H. Huang, Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines, AIAA, 1992.
13. M. Barrere, A. Joumotte, B. F. Veubeke and J. Vandenkerckhove, Rocket Propulsion, Elsevier, 1960.
14. T. V. Karthikeyan and A K Kapoor, Guided Missiles, Defence Scientific Information and Documentation
Centre, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Delhi.
15. S. Farokhi, Aircraft Propulsion, Wiley, 2014.
16. J. W. Cornelisse, H. F. R. Schoyer, and K. F. Wakker, Rocket Propulsion and Spaceflight Dynamics,
Pitman, 1979.
17. W. E. Wiesel, Spaceflight Dynamics, Tata McGraw Hill, 2007.
18. G. Swinerd, How Spacecraft Fly - Spaceflight Without Formulae, Copernicus Books, 2008.
19. R. T. Holzmann, Chemical Rockets & Flame and Explosives Technology, Marcel Dekker, 1969.
20. M. J. Zucrow, Aircraft and Missile Propulsion (Vol. I and II), John Wiley, 1958.
21. N. Zhemchuzhin, M. Levin, I. Merkulov, V. Naumov, O. Pozhidaev, S. Frolov, and V. Frolov, Meet
Aerospace Vehicles, Mir Publishers, Moscow, 1974.

U K Saha, IIT Guwahati, India

19
E-mail: saha@iitg.ernet.in
 Web Resources
1. http://www.google.com
2. http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4404/app-b2.htm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_2000#/media/File:Delta_2914_launching_IUE_spacecraft.jpg
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H_Goddard
5. http://www.kiosek.com/oberth/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Tsiolkovsky
7. http://www.soton.ac.uk/~genesis
8. http://www.howstuffworks.co
9. http://www.pwc.ca/
10. http://rolls-royce.com
11. http://www.ge.com/aircraftengines/
12. http://www.ae.gatech.edu
13. http://www.ueet.nasa.gov/Engines101.html
14. http://home.swipnet.se/~w65189/transport_aircraft
15. http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/
16. http://www2.janes.com/WW/www_results.jsp
17. http://www.allison.com/
18. http://wings.ucdavis.edu/Book/Propulsion
19. http://www.pilotfriend.com/
20. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/design/aerospike
21. http://www.grc.nasa.gov
22. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History
23. http://membres.lycos.fr/bailliez/aerospace/engine
24. http://people.bath.ac.uk/en2jyhs/types.htm
25. http://roger.ecn.purdue.edu/~propulsi/propulsion/rockets
26. http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/ep2.htm
27. http://www.answers.com/main
28. http://www.astronautix.com
29. http://www.spaceatdia.org/uploads/luca/Space%20Shuttle%20Propulsion%202010.pdf
30. http://science.nasa.gov/missions/
31. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceflight
32. http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/02144/spacecraft/types/intro.htm
33. http://claudelafleur.qc.ca/Q10.html
34. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/pf.html
35. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_Spacecraft_Classification.html
36. http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/jplbasic/bsf9-1.htm
37. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA
38. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_program
39. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/chapter9-1
40. http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2015/09/idn-take-brief-history-of-rocketry-in.html
41. http://www.space-propulsion.com/spacecraft-propulsion/propellant-tanks/manufacturing.html

20