ME 554 Rocket Propulsion

Problem Set – 2: Rocket Mechanics

7. Consider a rocket engine in which combustion chamber pressure and temperature are 30
atm and 3756 K, respectively. The area of the rocket nozzle exit is 15 m 2 and is designed so
that the exit pressure exactly equals ambient pressure at standard altitude of 25 km. For the
gas mixture, assume specific heat ratio to be 1.18 and the molecular mass to be 20. At a
standard altitude of 25 km, calculate (a) specific impulse, (b) exit velocity, and (c) mass flow.
At 25 km, the pressure is 2527 N/ m2. [375 s, 3678 m/s, 263.5 kg/s]

8. Many space launch vehicles and larger missiles have multiple propulsion systems. It is
therefore necessary to determine the overall or total thrust and the overall or total mass flow
of propellants for a group of propulsion systems (two or more) firing in parallel (i.e., in the
same direction at the same time). Consider the multiple liquid rocket engine for the Atlas
missile that has two booster engines (Thrust = 165,000 lbf at sea-level, and mass flow rate =
66.7 lbm/s, each). The turbine exhaust gas of each booster provides an extra 2300 lbf of thrust
at a propellant flow rate of 3.3 lbm/s. These booster engines are dropped from the vehicle
after 145 sec of operation (Fig. P8). The central sustainer rocket engine, which also starts off at
liftoff, continues to operate for 300 sec. It has a sea-level thrust of 57,000 lbf at a mass flow
rate of 27.05 lbm/s. Its turbine exhaust gases are aspirated into the nozzle of the engine. There
are also two vernier rockets used for roll control of the vehicle. They each have a thrust of
415 lbf at sea-level with a propellant flow rate of 0.213 lbm/s. Determine the overall thrust
and overall mass flow rate at liftoff, when all the nozzles are pointing vertically down.
[392430 lbf, 167.47 lbm/s]

Fig. P8
9. A vernier thruster is a smaller rocket engine used for attitude control in conjunction with a
larger spacecraft propulsion engine. The vernier thrusters are used when spacecraft control
requirements, such as maneuvering during docking with other spacecraft, dictate a wide range
of different thrust levels for attitude or velocity control. Consider the Russian rocket engine
(RD-110) that consists of four non-moveable thrust chambers where the propellants are
supplied by a single turbo-pump. The exhaust from the turbine of the turbo-pump then drives
four vernier rockets which are meant for the control of flight path. The individual non-
moveable thrust chamber has a thrust of 73.14 kN, and exhaust velocity of 3279 m/s. The
overall engine with vernier rockets has a thrust of 297.93 kN and exhaust velocity of 3197
m/s. Calculate the thrust, mass flow rate and exhaust velocity of the four vernier rockets.
[5.37 kN, 3.99 kg/s, 1345 m/s]

10. To date, all human-made space vehicles are launched into space by rocket boosters. There are
examples of expendable launch vehicles – where no part of the boosters is recovered for
reuse. In recoverable launch vehicles, some of its part can be used again for another launch.
The famous Space Shuttle is a partly reusable system and the system consists of part airplane
(known as orbiter) and part space vehicle. The orbiter is the airplane-like configuration that
sits on the side of the rocket booster. During the boost phase, the three Space Shuttle Main
Engines (SSMEs) operate together with two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) for the first two
minutes. For the remaining thrust time, the SSMEs operate alone. The SRBs burn out and are
jettisoned after first two minutes of flight, and are recovered and refurbished for use again.
The SSME comprises three rocket engines mounted on the orbiter, and an external tank
carries liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for the SSME. The external tank is jettisoned just
before the system goes into orbit; and the tank falls back through atmosphere and is
destroyed. The orbiter carries on with its mission in space. When the mission is complete, the
orbiter re-enters the atmosphere and glides back to earth, making a horizontal landing as a
conventional airplane would do. Now, using the Table-T10, calculate the overall specific
impulse for the vehicle during first two minute of combined thrust operation.
 Table – T10: Propulsion Systems for the Space Shuttle

REVIEW QUESTIONS
 Distinguish between a missile and a launch vehicle.
 What is a vernier thruster?
 What are expendable and recoverable launch vehicles?