Nozzle Flows

Dr.Gurunadh Velidi
Department of Aerospace Engineering
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies,
Dehradun
NOZZLE BASICS REVIEW
• Nozzle produces thrust
• Convert thermal energy of hot chamber
gases into kinetic energy and direct that
energy along nozzle axis
• Exhaust gases from combustion are
pushed into throat region of nozzle
• Throat is smaller cross-sectional area
than rest of engine → gases are
compressed to high pressure
• Nozzle gradually increases in cross-
sectional area allowing gases to expand
and push against walls creating thrust
• Mathematically, ultimate purpose of
nozzle is to expand gases as efficiently as
possible so as to maximize exit velocity

F  m eVe  Pe  Pa Ae

F  m eVe
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 NOZZLE BASICS REVIEW
• Expansion Area Ratio:
– Most important parameter in nozzle design is expansion area ratio, e

Aexit Ae
e  *
Athroat A
– Fixing other variables (primarily chamber pressure) → only one ratio
that optimizes performance for a given altitude (or ambient pressure)
– However, rocket does not travel at only one altitude
• Should know trajectory to select expansion ratio that maximizes performance
over a range of ambient pressures
– See Lecture Notes on Isentropic Nozzle Calculations for more Details

• Other factors must also be considered

– Nozzle weight, length, manufacturability, cooling (heat transfer), and
aerodynamic characteristics.

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Source: William J. Devenport
Source: William J. Devenport
Source: William J. Devenport
Source: William J. Devenport
OPERATION OF CD NOZZLES

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 OPERATION OF CD NOZZLES

All practical rockets operate in regimes (e)-(g) 9

OVER-EXPANDED FLOW

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UNDER-EXPANDED FLOW

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 NOZZLE TYPES
3 primary groups of nozzle types
1. Cone (conical, linear)
2. Bell (contoured, shaped, classic converging-diverging)
3. Annular (spike, aerospike, plug, expansion, expansion-deflection)

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NOZZLE EXAMPLES

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 CONICAL NOZZLES
• Used in early rocket applications because of simplicity and ease of
construction
• Cone gets its name from the fact that the walls diverge at a constant
angle
• A small angle produces greater thrust, because it maximizes the axial
component of exit velocity and produces a high specific impulse
• Penalty is longer and heavier nozzle that is more complex to build
• At the other extreme, size and weight are minimized by a large nozzle
wall angle
– Large angles reduce performance at low altitude because high ambient
pressure causes overexpansion and flow separation
• Primary Metric of Characterization: Divergence Loss

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 Nozzle Characteristics of Operating Engines
Engine Chamber Area Pn Pn oper
Pressure (Pc), Ratio
psia
Saturn 965 10 140 Variable with
F-1 without Extension altitude Pa
965 16 275
F-1 with extension
J-2 763 27.5 610
Atlas 703 8 100 Variable with
Booster 543 25 528 altitude Pa
Sustainer
Subsonic Air Breathing 8-14 1.0 1.9 3-5
Turbojet (40,000 ft)
Super sonic Air 8-56 1-2 1.9-8 3-20
Breathing Turbojet
(40,000 ft)
• The operating point is determined by nozzle pressure
ratio(pn) and area ratio.
• In Saturn F-1 Engine, area ratio 16, and pc=965 psia, for
46,000 ft with pa=2 psia, we can get 965/2=482.
• The nozzle operating point of (482, 16), where ϒ=1.4, this
operating point indicates, nozzle operation above design
point( under expanded) at 46,000 ft.
• At sea level for the pn, 65 and operating point of the nozzle
in the overexpansion region.
• The turbojet engines of high performance, air-breathing,
subsonic aircrafts generally use convergent nozzle.
• Operates with nozzle pressure ratio grater then the design
value of 1.9. Thus nozzles show under expanded operating
regime.
• Turbojet Engines of supersonic aircraft, how ever have
convergent