1886 AIAA JOURNAL VOL. 5, NO.
10
Technical Notes.
TECHNICAL NOTES are short manuscripts describing new developments or important results of a preliminary nature. These Notes cannot exceed 6 manuscript
pages and 3 figures; a page of text may be substituted for a figure and vice versa. After informal review by the editors, they may be published within a few months of
the date of receipt. Style requirements are the same as for regular contributions (see inside back cover).
Optimum Thrust-Nozzle Contours for
Gas-Particle Flows
JOE D. HOFFMAN* AND H. DOYLE THOMPSONf
Pur due University, Lafayette, Ind.
M ANY current high-energy propellant combinations use
metal additives that give rise to performance losses due
to the nonequilibrium effects of particle drag and heat trans-
fer. Hoffman and Lorenc1 studied these losses in conical
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nozzles. Their results indicate that performance can be
improved by proper nozzle contouring. The present analysis
presents an optimization technique for the design of axi-
symmetric nozzles whose working fluid is a gas-particle mix-
ture. The details of this analysis are presented in Ref. 2.
The analysis is based on the usual assumptions for axi-
symmetric gas-particle flows as discussed in Ref. 3. The
optimization procedure applies to the supersonic portion of
the nozzle. The flowfield up to the supersonic region and the
initial expansion of the supersonic flowfield are assumed to
be known. The determination of the flowfield through the
kernel (see Fig. 1) is discussed in Ref. 3.
The differential equations governing the axisymmetric
flow of a gas-particle mixture are3
(ypu)x + (ypv)y = 0
p(uux vuy) + Px 4- App(u — Up) = 0
Limiting particle
streamline
Nozzle contour
Right running
Sonic line B characteristic
Fig. 1 Model for gas-particle flow optimization analysis.
Presented as Paper 66-538 at the AIAA Second Propulsion
Joint Specialist Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., June
13-17, 1966; submitted June 8, 1966; revision received May 8,
1967. This work was sponsored jointly by Aerojet-General
Corporation under Contracts PO 802353 and PO 802357 and
by NASA under Grant NsG 592. The authors wish to ac-
knowledge the work of K. G. Guderley and J. V. Armitage, upon
which the present analysis is based. [11.23]
* Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Jet Pro-
pulsion Center. Member AIAA.
t Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Jet Pro-
pulsion Center. Member AIAA.
p(uvx + vvy} + Py + App(v - vp) = 0 (3)
2
uPx + vPy - a (upx + vpy) - ABpp = 0 (4)
(ypPUp)x + (yppVp)y = 0 (5)
PP[UP(UP)X + vp(up)v - A(u - up)] = 0 (6)
Pp[up(vp)x + vp(vp)y - A(v - vp)] = 0
pp[up(hp)x + vp(hp)y + %AC(TP -T)] = Q
(7)
(8)
The parameters A, B, and C are drag and heat-transfer
parameters defined in Ref. 3.
Equations (1-8) are for a single particle size of one chemi-
cal species. Generalization to more than one particle size
and more than one species can be accomplished at the expense
of more complex algebra.
The model to be considered is illustrated in Fig. 1. The
formulation of the optimization is similar to that presented
by Guderley and Armitage.4 The right-running character-
istic ADB separates the flowfield into the upstream region
which is fixed by the given subsonic and transonic contour,
and into the downstream region which will be affected by
variations in the nozzle contour AC. The problem then be-
comes the determination of the optimized nozzle contour
y = rj(x) which develops maximum thrust for the given sub-
sonic and transonic contour subject to the restriction of shock-
(2) free flow and a constraint on the allowable supersonic con-
tour. The optimum nozzle contour is obtained by applying
the techniques of the calculus of variations.
There are no particles present in region A DEC since the
limiting particle streamline separates from the nozzle wall
in the throat region and is not permitted to intersect the
nozzle wall downstream of the throat, i.e., point E lies be-
tween points B and C on the left characteristic EEC. Region
A DEC is described by the equations which govern the gas-
particle flow in region DBE if the particle density pp is zero.
The extremal problem is then formulated in terms of the
expression
/*/*
' - v)]dx JJ ABC (9)
i =l
where d,C2(x) and hi(x,y), (i = 1, . . . , 8), are Lagrange
multipliers; the operators Li,(i = 1, . . . , 8), denote Eqs.
(1-8); and rj' = drj/dx. In Eq. (9) the axial thrust which
is to be maximized is obtained by integrating the excess
pressure forces acting on the nozzle wall AC. The Lagrange
multiplier Ci multiplies the function G(7),r)',P), the actual
form of which can be chosen to impose any of a variety of
constraints on the nozzle geometry such as fixed nozzle
length, fixed nozzle surface area, etc. The Lagrange multi-
plier C*(x) is used to introduce the restriction that the line
AC along which the thrust is maximized is the nozzle wall and
a gas streamline. Equation (9) is required to be stationary
for independent variations in the parameters u, v, P, p, up, vp,
hp, pp, rj(x), Xc, and Yc.
Following the formalisms of variational calculus as pre-
sented by Miele,5 the variation of Eq. 9 results in a set of
 OCTOBER 1967 TECHNICAL NOTES 1887

Euler equations which must hold over the region ABC and a hiydx - hs(udy - vdx) = 0 (27)
set of transversality equations and corner conditions which
apply along the boundary ABC. These equations are pre- yhi - tfhi = 0 (28)
sented in Ref. 2. The Euler equations are a set of eight
quasilinear, nonhomogeneous, partial differential equations and on BE,
involving the gasdynamic properties and the Lagrange multi- h5 = hs = h7 = h* = 0 (29)
pliers hi. These equations, together with Eqs. (1-8), form
a hyperbolic system of 16 partial differential equations which On AC, the following two conditions are obtained:
can be replaced by the following equivalent system of char-
acteristic and compatibility equations. Along gas stream- uhz - vh2 = vy - u$G/dP)[r]r}'(P - P0)/G]xc (30)
lines dy/dx = v/u and
pudu + pvdv + dP = —App[(u — up)dx + X
pcu<
(v - vp)dy] (10) [ _ ^'(dfl/cV - Polype' r*c 1
(Pc -
X
udP - a*udp = ABppdx (11) L G(XC) G(XC) Jx rjpu
ypu

-h2du - hsdv - (ht/p)dP dv

pu dx
ydhi + udhz + vdh9 = Kidx + K2dy (12)
~
(h2v - h3u)dv + (hz/p)dP - (j - i)ua*(h*/p)dp + Equations (30-31) both contain the generalized design con-
Downloaded by MONASH UNIVERSITY on March 6, 2015 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.4321

yudhi — ua2dh± =
z
[-a h,v/y - a*Ks + K, - A(pp/p) X
(hzdy/dx - h3)(v - vp)]dx
Along gas Mach lines dy/dx = tan(0 ± a) and
az(vdu — udv) ± («2/p) cotadP =
(udy - vdx)(a2v/y) - A(pp/p)
X pliers has been obtained. The characteristics are the gas
{B(udy — vdx) — a*[(u — up)dy — (v — vp)dx]}
kudu + h3dv + (Vp) (dP - a*dp) - ydhi =F
h^) = ± i^na(K^dx — Kidy) ±
— vdx){A(pp/p)\h%(u — up) +
h*(v - vp) - h*B] + Ki}
Along particle streamlines dy/dx = vp/up and
updup = A(u — up)dx
Updvp = A(v — vp)dx
straint G (77,17;,P).
The particular geometric constraint is imposed by intro-
ducing the appropriate form of G into Eqs. (30-31). For
(13) a fixed nozzle length G = 1 and for a fixed nozzle surface
area G = (I + ??' 2 ) 1/2 - It is apparent that other engineering
constraints can be introduced in a similar manner.
A complete set of characteristic and compatibility equa-
tions for the gasdynamic properties and the Lagrange multi-
and particle streamlines and the gas Mach lines. The
(14) compatibility equations for determining the gas properties
and their associated Lagrange multipliers are Eqs. (10-13
and 14-15), and those for determining the particle proper-
ties and their associated Lagrange multipliers are Eqs. (16-25).
The design of an optimized nozzle contour requires an itera-
tive approach in which a likely contour is assumed initially.
(15) The boundary conditions, the flow variables, and the La-
grange multipliers are calculated for the assumed contour.
In this calculation one of the boundary equations, Eq. (27),
(16) is not required and becomes the check condition to deter-
mine if the assumed contour is the optimum contour. Thus,
(17) along BC, an error parameter E can be evaluated as

updhp = -IAC(TP - T)dx (18) = yhidx — hz(udy — vdx) (32)

d^p = 0 (19) If E is everywhere zero along BC, then the contour satisfies
all requirements of the variational problem and is indeed the
(iW* = yppUp (20) optimum contour. Otherwise, the contour must be altered
such that E goes to zero on BC.
(tp)y = -yppVp (21) Guderley and Armitage4 discuss a relaxation technique
which they have successfully applied to their problem. Re-
yupdhs = K8dx (22) cent unpublished work on a similar problem at Purdue
updh* = -K5dx (23) University indicates that a much simpler relaxation tech-
nique can be used since a change in the slope of the nozzle
vpdhi = hsdup + h7dvp + h^dhp + K&dy — ydh5 (24) contour propagates its effect primarily along the character-
istics of the flow.
updh8 = Kidx (25)
In Eqs. (14-15) the upper and lower signs refer to right- References
1
and left-running Mach lines, respectively. The particle Hoffman, J. D. and Lorenc, S. A., UA parametric study of
stream function \f/p is introduced to eliminate a deficiency gas-particle flows in conical nozzles," AIAA J. 3, 103-106 (1965).
2
in the compatibility equations which results from the original Hoffman, J. D. and Thompson, H. D., UA general method for
system of equations. This new system is in every way determining optimum thrust nozzle contours for gas-particle
equivalent to the original system. The terms KI through flows," AIAA Paper 66-538 (June 1966).
3
KS are defined in Ref. 2 and are nonhomogeneous terms in- Hoffman, J. D., "An analysis of the effects of gas-particle
mixtures on the performance of rocket nozzles/' Jet Propulsion
volving the gasdynamic properties and Lagrange multipliers, Center, Purdue Univ., TM-63-1 (January 1963).
but no derivatives. 4
Guderley, K. G. and Armitage, J. V., "General approach to
The transversality and corner conditions produce the optimum rocket nozzles," Theory of Optimum Aerodynamic
following boundary conditions for the Lagrange multipliers. Shapes, edited by A. Miele (Academic Press Inc., New York,
On BEC, 1965), Chap. 11.
5
Miele, A., Theory of Optimum Aerodynamic Shapes (Academic
hiydy + h2(udy — vdx) = 0 (26) Press Inc., New York, 1965), Chap. 4.