ME 554 Rocket Propulsion

Problem Set – 3: Nozzle Theory – Part 1

11. An ideal rocket chamber is to operate at sea level using propellants whose combustion
products have a specific heat ratio of 1.3. Find the required chamber pressure and the nozzle
area ratio between throat and exit if the nozzle exit Mach number is 2.4. The nozzle inlet
Mach number may be considered to be very small. [1.5 Mpa, 2.64]

12. A rocket operates at sea level (p=0.1013 Mpa) with a chamber pressure of 2.068 Mpa and a
chamber temperature of 2222 K and a propellant consumption of 1 kg/s. Assuming a ratio of
specific heats to be 1.3 and gas constant to be 345.7 J/kg K, show graphically the variation of
area, temperature, specific volume and velocity with respect to pressure along the nozzle.
Calculate the ideal thrust and ideal specific impulse. [1827 N, 186 sec]

13. A certain rocket nozzle expands a gas under isentropic conditions. Its chamber or nozzle
entry velocity is 70 m/s, and its final velocity is 1500 m/s. What is the change in enthalpy of
the gas? What percentage of error is introduced if the initial velocity is neglected?
[-1.12 x 106J/kg, 0.22%]
14. The following data are given for an ideal rocket:

Average molecular mass 24 kg/kg-mol

Chamber pressure 2.533 Mpa
External pressure 0.090 Mpa
Chamber temperature 2900 K
Throat area 0.00050 m2

Assuming specific heat ratio of 1.3, determine (a) throat velocity, (b) specific volume at throat,
(c) propellant flow and specific impulse, (d) thrust, (e) Mach number at throat. Determine the
ideal thrust coefficient of the rocket by two methods (analytically and graphically).
[1066 m/s, 0.632 m3/kg, 0.847 kg/s, 220.5 sec, 1.83 kN, 1.0; 1.44, 1.44]

15. Using a propellant of molecular mass 15 kg/kg-mol and flame temperature 3300 K, determine
the rocket nozzle throat and exit areas required for a thrust of 500 kN and an ideal impulse of
300 sec. The ambient pressure is 0.1 Mpa, and specific heat ratio of the propellant is 1.40. (a)
How much thrust would this rocket develop if the ambient pressure were changed to 0.03
Mpa? (b) How much thrust would be developed by a rocket designed to expand to 0.03 Mpa
if it had the same stagnation conditions, throat area and propellant?
[0.0647 m2, 0.342 m2, 523 kN, 533 kN]

16. The German World War-II A-4 propulsion system had a sea level thrust of 25,400 kg and a
chamber pressure of 1.5 Mpa. If the exit pressure is 0.084 Mpa and the exit diameter is 740
mm, what is the thrust at 25 km, where the ambient pressure is 2.55 x 103 N/m2? [3.294 x 105 N]

17. For an ideal rocket with a characteristic exhaust velocity of 1220 m/s, a mass flow rate of 73.0
kg/s, a thrust coefficient of 1.50 and a nozzle throat area of 0.0248 m2, compute the effective
exhaust velocity, the thrust, the chamber pressure and the specific impulse.
[1830 m/s; 133560 N; 3.590 x 106 N/m2; 186.7 sec]

REVIEW QUESTIONS
 State the expressions for (a) nozzle exit velocity, and (b) nozzle area ratio
 What do you understand by (a) under-expanded nozzle and (c) over-expanded nozzle?
 Define the terms: (a) characteristic velocity, and (b) critical pressure.