28-Apr-18

Rocket and Space Propulsion

INTRODUCTION TO SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS

What is propulsion ?
• Act of changing the motion of a body.
• Propulsion mechanism provide a force that moves bodies that are initially at
rest, changes a velocity, or overcome retarding force when a body is
propelled through a medium.

Newton's Third Law “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

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PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION OF ROCKET

• A rocket is like a chamber enclosing a gas under
pressure.
• A small opening at one end of the chamber allows
the gas to escape
• provides a thrust that propels the rocket in the
opposite direction.
• A good example of this is a balloon. Air inside a
balloon is compressed by the balloon's rubber wall.
• When the nozzle is released, air escapes through it
and the balloon is propelled in the opposite direction.

Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 3

Newton's Law

Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 4

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Rocket engines
• The only known way to meet space-flight velocity requirements is through
the use of the rocket in one of its several forms.
• Rocket thrust is the reaction force produced by expelling particles at high
velocity from a nozzle opening.
• These expelled particles may be solid, liquid, gaseous, or even bundles of
radiant energy.
• Because of this fundamental fact, a prime criterion for rating rocket
performance is specific impulse, which provides an index of the efficiency
with which a rocket uses its supply of propellant or working fluid for thrust
production.
• For gaseous working fluids, specific impulse can be increased by (1)
attaining higher temperatures in the combustion chamber and (2) increasing
the proportion of lighter gases, preferably hydrogen, in the exhaust.
Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 5

Rocket Propulsion
Principle:
• It consists of combustion chamber and an expanding nozzle.

• The fuel and oxidant, when ignited cause the combustion to proceed at a very fast
rate.

• The exhaust gases produce the required propulsive forces.

• In other words propellant gases, that are generated in the CC are expanded in a
nozzle to a supersonic velocity. The high velocity gases going out of nozzle produce
the thrust and propel the rocket

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• Based on application
Classification : Space , military, weather , booster

1. Chemical rocket engines • Based on stages

2. Nuclear rocket engine Single , multi stage
3. Electrical rocket engine
4. Solar rocket engine • Based on range
short range small
Chemical long range larger
1. Liquid propellant rocket engine
2. Solid propellant rocket engine
3. Hybrid propellant rocket engine

Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 7

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Jet Propulsion: Jet propulsion is one of the propulsive system whereby a

reaction force is imparted to a device by the momentum of ejected matter.

Types of Jet Propulsion:

A. Duct propulsion: utilizes surrounding air as a working fluid and mixes

with the stored fuel e.g. turbojets and ram jets. These engines are also called
air breathing engines.

B. Rocket propulsion: produces thrust by ejection of stored matter, called

propellant

Duct Jet Propulsion

• Also called as air breathing engines, comprises devices which have a
duct to confine the flow of air.

• They use surrounding air as oxidizer to burn fuel stored in flight

vehicle.

• Turbo jet engine is the most common of ducted engine

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Comparison
• Air-Breathing Systems
• Also called duct propulsion.
• Vehicle carries own fuel , Use surrounding air (an
oxidizer) for thrust generation
• Gas turbine engines on aircraft
• Altitude limitation
• Thrust decreases with altitude
• Rocket Propulsion
• Vehicle carries own fuel and oxidizer, propellant to generate
thrust:
• Can operate outside of the Earth’s atmosphere
• Launch vehicles, upper stages, Earth orbiting satellites and
interplanetary spacecraft
• No altitude limitation
• Thrust increases slightly with altitude
• Rate of climb increases with altitude
• Engine has no ram drag ; constant thrust with speed

• Rate of climb decreases with altitude
• Engine ram drag increases with flight speed
• Flight speed always less than jet velocity
• Reasonable efficiency and flight duration
• Flight speed not limited can be greater than jet velocity
• Low efficiency except at extremely high flight speed for small
duration

A Brief History of Rocketry

Dr. Goddard
• China (300 B.C.) goddard.littleto
• Earliest recorded use of rockets npublicschools
.net
• Black powder
• Russia (early 1900’s)
• Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
• Orbital mechanics, rocket equation
• United States (1920’s)
• Robert Goddard
• First liquid fueled rocket (1926)
• Germany (1940’s)
• Wernher von Braun
• V-2
• Hermann Oberth
Dr. von Braun
Prof. Tsiolkovsky

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Liquid propellant rocket engine

• Construction
• Liquid oxygen and liquid fuel is stored in different tank separately
• Pre heater is used to heat the fuel and oxidizer
• Nozzle is used to increase the velocity & decreases the pressure of the gases
• Working
• Oxidizer and fuel are pumped separately in to a combustion chamber through
the control valve
• Since oxidizer and fuel stored at very low temperature they re pre heated with
suitable pre heater
• Then injected in to the combustion chamber & combustion take place
• The combustion gas allowed to expand through nozzle
• The nozzle , pressure energy is converted in to KE , gas coming out of the unit
with very high velocity
• Thrust produced at opposite direction and propels the rocket
Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 13

Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 14

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• Advantage
• Can be reused after recovery
• Combustion is controlled very easily by control valve
• Speed regulation is possible by varying the mixture
• High specific impulse
• More economical for long range operation
• Accidents can be rectified at any stage
• Disadvantages
• Construction is complicated than solid rockets
• Handling problem if the fuel is poisonous or corrosive
• Size and weight of engine is more
• High vibration
• Fuel can exist in liquid form only at low temperature so proper insulation
needed

Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 15

Advantages of liquid propellant

• Engine can be reused after recovery

• More flexible and greater control over thrust

• Aerodynamically and structurally better and safer

• Higher safety

• Regenerative heating

• More economical

• Provide relatively higher thrust than solid propellants.

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Disadvantages of liquid propellants

• Liquid propellants are difficult to handle and require separate storage
tanks.

• They demand a complex engine with pumps and turbo-compressors

for feeding to combustion chamber

• Lower density

Properties of liquid propellant

• Propellant should have high CV
• Its density should be high
• It should have low value of vapor pressure and viscosity
• Should have high specific heat and thermal conductivity
• Low Molecular weight
• No corrosive & nor reactive wit engine components
• Should not poisonous
• Easily ignitable
• Cheap and easily available
Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 18

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Properties of liquid propellant

• High calorific value
• High density
• Lower freezing point
• Non-corrosive
• Chemically stable
• They should not be poisonous and hazardous
• Cheap and easily available

Propellant feed system

• High pressure

1. Gas pressure feed system

2. Turbo pump feed system

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Gas pressure feed system

• Inert gas at high pressure
• Gas is chosen based on chemical
properties, density, pressure and
weight
• Nitrogen, helium and air
• No moving parts
• Pressurization of tank
• Weight penalty
• Pressure can be generated within
propellants using gas
• Exothermic reaction with propellant

Turbo pump feed system

• Single turbine and dual
• Reduction gear
• Gas generator
• 1.5 to 5% of propellants
• Solid propellant can also be
used
• Positive displacement and
centrifugal pump can be used

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Oxidizers
• Liquid oxygen- LOX
• Cryogenic propellant ( 90K)
• Used with a large no. of rocket fuels
• Hydrogen peroxide
• With catalyst decomposing into steam and oxygen
• Monopropellant
• Nitrogen tetroxide
• (294.4K)
• Nitric acid
• RFNA, WFNA

Fuels
• Liquid hydrogen
• Cryogenic propellant (20K)
• Well insulated storage tanks
• Ethyl alcohol or ethanol
• Hydrazine
• Higher freezing point (274.7K)
• UDMH
• Derivative of hydrazine
• Freezing point-216K

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SOLID-PROPELLANT ROCKET • The propellant grain is firmly cemented

to the inside of the metal or plastic case
• This hole, called the perforation, may be
shaped in various ways, as star, gear, or
other more unusual outlines
• The perforation shape and dimension
affects the burning rate or number of
pounds of gas generated per second and,
thereby, the thrust of the engine.
• After being ignited by a pyrotechnic
device, which is usually triggered by an
electrical impulse
• The propellant grain burns on the entire
inside surface of the perforation.
• The hot combustion gases pass down the
grain and are ejected through the nozzle
to produce thrust.
Dr. JVM LAL / High speed aerodynamics 25

Classes of chemical rocket propulsion devices

B. Solid propellant rocket engine:

• The propellant to be burned is contained within

the combustion chamber or case.

• The solid propellant charges are called the grain

and it contains all the chemical elements for
complete burning.

• Once ignited, it usually burns smoothly at

predetermined rate on all the exposed internal
surfaces of grain.

• The resulting hot gases flows through supersonic

nozzle, thereby imparting thrust to the vehicle.

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Thermal Insulation
• Design involves:
• Analysis of combustion chamber environment
• Stagnation temperature
• Stagnation pressure
• Propellant gases (material compatibility)

• Selection of insulation material

• Material thickness determination for various areas of the

motor case

Propellant Grain
• Two main categories

• Double Base: A homogeneous propellant grain, usually

nitrocellulose dissolved in nitroglycerin. Both ingredients are
explosive and act as a combined fuel, oxidizer and binder

• Composite: A heterogeneous propellant grain with oxidizer

crystals and powdered fuel held together in a matrix of
synthetic rubber binder.

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Conventional Composite
• Fuel
5-22% Powdered Aluminum

• Oxidizer
65-70% Ammonium Perchlorate (NH4ClO4 or AP)

• Binder:
8-14% Hydroxyl- Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB)

Fuels
• Aluminum (Al)
• Molecular Weight: 26.98 kg/kmol
• Density: 2700 kg/m3
• Most commonly used

• Magnesium (Mg)
• Molecular Weight: 24.32 kg/kmol
• Density: 1750 kg/m3
• Clean burning (green)

• Beryllium (Be)
• Molecular Weight: 9.01 kg/kmol
• Density: 2300 kg/m3
• Most energetic, but extremely toxic exhaust products

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Oxidizers
• Ammonium Perchlorate (AP)
• Most commonly used
• Cl combining with H can form HCl
• Toxic
• Depletion of ozone

• Ammonium Nitrate (AN)

• Next most commonly used
• Less expensive than AP
• Less energetic
• No hazardous exhaust products

Binders
• Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB)
• Most commonly used

• Polybutadiene Acrylonitrile (PBAN)

• Nitrocellulose
• Double base agent

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Hybrid rocket
• Beryllium hydride – fluorine
• Lithium hydride – chlorine trifluoride
• Lithium hydride-nitrogen tetroxide
• Hydrocarbon – nitrogen tetroxide

• Hypergolic propellants
 Ignition system not required
 Easy to fire
 Reaction can be started and
stopped easily

• Hypergolic means get ignited as soon

as oxidizer and fuel come in contact

Hybrid Motors
• Combination liquid-solid propellant
• Solid fuel
Oxidizer Tank
• Liquid oxidizer

• Multi-start capability
Ox Control Valve • Terminate flow of oxidizer

• Fuels consist of rubber or plastic base,

Solid and are inert.
Propellant

• Oxidizers include LO2, hydrogen

peroxide (H2O2) and nitrous oxide
Nozzle (NO2)

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Advantages of hybrid propellant rockets

• Easy thrust control

• No chemical deterioration
• Lighter than liquid propellant type
• Greater choice in fuel grain selection compared to solid propellant
• Less destructive

CRYOGENIC
ROCKET ENGINE

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CRYOGENICS
• The word ‘cryogenics’ is derived from Greek, meaning
“production of freezing cold”.

• cryogenics is the study of the production and behaviour of

materials at very low temperatures (below −150 °C).

• In cryogenics absolute temperature scales Kelvin (SI units) or

Rankin scale are used
 Oxygen liquefies at -183C(90K)

 Hydrogen liquefies at -253C(20K)

• A cryogenic engine is a rocket engine that uses a cryogenic fuel .

• Cryogenic fuels are fuels that require storage at extremely low

temperatures in order to maintain them in a liquid state.

• Various cryogenic fuel-oxidizer combinations have been tried, but

the combination of liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel and the liquid oxygen
(LOX) oxidizer is one of the most widely used.

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ADVANTAGES
 High Energy per unit mass:
Propellants like oxygen and hydrogen in liquid form give very
high amounts of energy per unit mass due to which the amount
of fuel to be carried aboard the rockets decreases.
 Clean Fuels
Hydrogen and oxygen are extremely clean fuels. When they
combine, they give out only water. This water is thrown out of
the nozzle in form of very hot vapour. Thus the rocket is nothing
but a high burning steam engine
 Economical
Use of oxygen and hydrogen as fuels is very economical, as liquid
oxygen costs less than gasoline.

DISADVANTAGES
 Cryogenic liquids difficult to store for longer periods
 High density requires larger tanks
 Highly reactive gases
 Leakage problems
 Boil off rate
 Hydrogen embrittlement
 Zero gravity conditions

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Rocket Propulsion Theory

Rocket propulsion parameters:
I. Thrust (F)
II. Specific impulse (Is)
III. Total impulse
IV. Specific propellant consumption (SPC)

Rocket Propulsion Theory

• High temp and pressure gases are produced in CC
• Since Combustion pressure is very high and ambient
pressure is low, gases are expanded through nozzle.

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Thrust
• Force that propels the rocket at a given velocity is
known as thrust.

• Thrust is produced by the change of the momentum

flux of the outgoing gases as well as the difference
between the nozzle exit pressure and the ambient
pressure.

• Rocket thrust is employed to overcome te drag and

gravitational force besides providing the acceleration.

Thrust (F)
For a rocket engine:

 ejectsUejects  A e pe  pamb 

FT  m
Where:
m = propellant mass flow rate
pe = exit pressure, paamb = ambient pressure
Uejects = exit plane velocity, Ae = exit area

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Specific Impulse (I or Isp)

• Specific impulse of a rocket engine is the thrust per unit weight flow rate
of the propellant. It is best measure of overall performance of rocket motor.

Isp= F/(wp per sec)

The unit of Isp is seconds

Total Impulse (Itot)

tb

• Defined as: Itotal   FT dt

0
where tb = time of burning

• If FT is constant during burn:

Itotal  FT  tb

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Specific propellant consumption

• The weight flow rate of the propellant required to produce a thrust of

one Newton is known as specific propellant consumption (SPC)

SPC=wp/F = 1/ (F/wp)
so, SPC= 1/Is

Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)

• SLV-3 was India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle.

• It was an all solid, four stage vehicle weighing 17 tonnes with a height
of 22m and capable of placing 40 kg class payloads in Low Earth Orbit.

• The first experimental flight of SLV-3, in August 1979, was only

partially successful.

• SLV-3 was successfully launched on July 18, 1980 from Sriharikota

Range (SHAR), when Rohini satellite, RS-1, was placed in orbit.

• Apart from the July 1980 launch, there were two more launches held
in May 1981 and April 1983, orbiting Rohini satellites carrying remote
sensing sensors.

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Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

• PSLV, is an expendable launch system

• It is the third generation launch vehicle of India.

• It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid

stages.

• After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as

the reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India.

• During 1994-2017 period, the vehicle has launched 48 Indian

satellites and 209 satellites for customers from abroad.

• Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft –

Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 –
that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively

PSLV Configuration
Satellite
 6S9 + S139 + PL40 + HPS3 +L2.5
 Gross weight : 294 T
 Overall height: 44 m
 Diameter : 2.8 m
 Heatshield: 3.2 m
 Features :
 4 stage vehicle
 Multiple satellite launch capability
 Multi orbit capability
 Performance :
o GTO : 1.2 T
o SSPO : 1.7 T

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Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

• GSLV is an expendable launch system operated

by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).

• The 49 metres tall GSLV, with a lift-off mass of

415 tonnes, is a three-stage vehicle with solid,
liquid and cryogenic stages respectively.

GSLV Configuration

 4L40 + S125 + L37.5 + C12

 LOW : 414 T
 Diameter : 3.4 m
 Heatshield : 3.8 m
 Features :
 3 stage vehicle
 Performance :
 GTO : 2 t.
 Performance growth
 Potential : 2.5 t ( with
indigenous Cryo stage

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Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

• GSLV has been used in ten launches to date,
since its first launch in 2001 through to its most
recent launch on May 5, 2017 of the GSAT 9.

• GSLV uses major components that are already

proven in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) launchers.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

• The first development flight of GSLV Mk.I (GSLV-D1) was
launched on 18 April 2001.

• The flight carrying GSAT-1 failed to reach the correct

orbit.

• Attempts to save GSAT-1 by using its own propulsion

system to maneuver it into the correct orbit were
unsuccessful as it ran out of fuel several thousand
kilometres below geosynchronous orbit.

• The GSLV became operational after a second

development flight, which successfully placed GSAT-2 in
2003.

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Lift off Wt. : 418 t Payload fairing

Overall length : 49 m
Vehicle dia. : 2.8 m Satellite
GTO P/L : 2 T Payload adaptor

Equipment bay

GS2, Liquid stage (L37.5)

Vented Inter stage GS3, Cryo stage (C12)

Inter stage

Inter stage

Solid motor (S139)

Liquid strap on, (L40), 4 Nos.

An exploded view of a vehicle 55

geosynchronous orbit
• Geostationary Earth orbit (often referred
geosynchronous equatorial orbit) (GEO)
• Is a circular geosynchronous orbit 35,786
kilometers (22,236 mi) above the Earth's
equator
• A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around
Earth of a satellite with an orbital period
that matches Earth's rotation on its axis,
which takes one sidereal day following
the direction of the Earth's rotation

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While the geostationary orbit lies on the

same plane as the equator, the
geosynchronous satellites has a different
inclination. This is the key difference
between the two types of orbits

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• Advantages and disadvantages

of geostationary orbit satellites.

• Long path length, and hence losses

when compared to LEO, or MEO.
Satellites more costly to install in GEO
in view of greater altitude.

• Geostationary satellite orbits can only

be above the equator and therefore polar
regions cannot be covered.

Unmanned aerial vehicle UAV

• An unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly known as a drone, is an
aircraft without a human pilot aboard. UAVs are a component of an
unmanned aircraft system; which include a UAV, a ground-based
controller, and a system of communications between the two

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List of unmanned space Crafts

Program Spacecraft
Astro-A - Astro-B - Astro-C - Astro-D - Astro-EII - Astro-
Astro series
F - Astro-G - Astro-H
A-Train OCO-2 - Shizuku - Aqua - CloudSat - CALIPSO - Aura
Buran program BOR-5 - Buran - OK-GLI
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Chang'e 1 - Chang'e 2 - Chang'e 3
Chandrayaan series Chandrayaan-1 - Chandrayaan-2
Canyon 1 - Canyon 2 - Canyon 3 - Canyon 4 - Canyon 5
Canyon program
- Canyon 6 - Canyon 7
Sentinel-1 - Sentinel-2 - Sentinel-3 - Sentinel-4 -
Copernicus Programme
Sentinel-5 Precursor - Sentinel-5 - Sentinel-6
CHEOPS - Solar Orbiter - Euclid - PLATO - Jupiter Icy
Cosmic Vision Moon Explorer - Advanced Telescope for High Energy
Astrophysics

Question interaction section

• Define specific impulse?
• Define SFC?
• Define UAV?
• Define binders in relation solid propellant?
• Write short note on Geo stationary orbit?
• List the classification of rockets?
• Difference between air breath engine and rocket engine?
• List the properties of liquid propellants?
• Explain the working principle of liquid propellant rocket engine?
• Explain the working principle of solid propellant rocket engine?

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Question interaction section

• What liquids propellant.
• Write thrust equation.
• List any two unmanned space flights.
• What is rocket propulsion system?
• what is role of Binders in solid rocket propulsion system?
• What do you mean by geostationary orbit? What is importance of geostationary
orbit in communication technology?
• List different types of Rocket engines.
• write short notes on principles of operation of Rocket engines.
• Explain the working principle of liquid propellant rocket engine?
• Explain the working principle of solid propellant rocket engine?
• Explain with neat sketch, working of solid propellant rocket engine.
• Write difference between air breathing and non air breathing engines.

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