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Results for “ROCKET NOZZLE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1961

Annular Internal-External-Expansion Rocket Nozzles for Large Booster Applications

For large-thrust booster applications, annular rocket nozzles employing both internal and external expansion are investigated. In these nozzles, free-stream air flows through the center as well as around the outside of the exiting jet. Flaps for deflecting the rocket exhaust are incorporated on the external-expansion surface for thrust-vector control. In order to define nozzle off-design performance, thrust vectoring effectiveness, and external stream effects, an experimental investigation was conducted on two annular nozzles with area ratios of 15 and 25 at Mach 0, 2, and 3 in the Lewis 10- by 10-foot wind tunnel. Air, pressurized to 600 pounds per square inch absolute, was used to simulate the exhaust flow. For a nozzle-pressure-ratio range of 40 to 1000, the ratio of actual to ideal thrust was essentially constant at 0.98 for both nozzles. Compared with conventional convergent-divergent configurations on hypothetical boost missions, the performance gains of the annular nozzle could yield significant orbital payload increases (possibly 8 to 17 percent). A single flap on the external-expansion surface of the area-ratio-25 annular nozzle produced a side force equal to 4 percent of the axial force with no measurable loss in axial thrust.

Connors, James F.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Wall temperature distribution calculation for a rocket nozzle contour

The JANNAF turbulent boundary layer (TBL) computer program, applicable to rocket nozzles, requires a wall temperature distribution among other input parameters to determine boundary layer behavior, heat transfer, and performance degradation. The inclusion of a complete regenerative cooling cycle model with associate geometry, material and fluid property data provides a capability to internally calculate wall temperature profiles on the hot gas and coolant flow-side, as well as the coolant flow bulk temperature variation. Besides the regular heat transfer and performance degradation calculations, the new concept can be used to optimize the cooling cycle, flow requirements, and cooling jacket geometry.

Omori, S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Investigation of Low-Reynolds-Number Rocket Nozzle Design Using PNS-Based Optimization Procedure

An optimization approach to rocket nozzle design, based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology, is investigated for low-Reynolds-number cases. This study is undertaken to determine the benefits of this approach over those of classical design processes such as Rao's method. A CFD-based optimization procedure, using the parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) equations, is used to design conical and contoured axisymmetric nozzles. The advantage of this procedure is that it accounts for viscosity during the design process; other processes make an approximated boundary-layer correction after an inviscid design is created. Results showed significant improvement in the nozzle thrust coefficient over that of the baseline case; however, the unusual nozzle design necessitates further investigation of the accuracy of the PNS equations for modeling expanding flows with thick laminar boundary layers.

Hussaini, M. Moin↗
NASA NTRS1974

Status of flow separation prediction in liquid propellant rocket nozzles

Flow separation which plays an important role in the design of a rocket engine nozzle is discussed. For a given ambient pressure, the condition of no flow separation limits the area ratio and, therefore, the vacuum performance. Avoidance of performance loss due to area ratio limitation requires a correct prediction of the flow separation conditions. To provide a better understanding of the flow separation process, the principal behavior of flow separation in a supersonic overexpanded rocket nozzle is described. The hot firing separation tests from various sources are summarized, and the applicability and accuracy of the measurements are described. A comparison of the different data points allows an evaluation of the parameters that affect flow separation. The pertinent flow separation predicting methods, which are divided into theoretical and empirical correlations, are summarized and the numerical results are compared with the experimental points.

Schmucker, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Rocket nozzle automatic release system

The function of the mechanism described is to automatically jettison a rocket nozzle element at the conclusion of boost in order to achieve a cruise mode nozzle configuration for the balance of powered flight. The boost nozzle is retained by latched pistons that are mechanically secured until released by chamber pressure, which simultaneously assumes retention of the nozzle by holding the primary piston in place. Upon attainment of cruise mode, the chamber pressure drops, allowing springs to overcome the primary piston force and pull the keeper ring forward to free the nozzle for jettison by motor exhaust.

Kimball, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Recovering Aerodynamic Side Loads on Rocket Nozzles using Quasi-Static Strain-Gage Measurements

During over-expanded operation of rocket nozzles, which is defined to be when the exit pressure is greater than internal pressure over some part of the nozzle, the nozzle will experience a transverse forcing function due to the pressure differential across the nozzle wall. Over-expansion occurs during the nozzle start-up and shutdown transient, even in high-altitude engines, because most test facilities cannot completely reproduce the near-vacuum pressures at those altitudes. During this transient, the pressure differential moves axially down the nozzle as it becomes pressurized, but this differential is never perfectly symmetric circumferentially. The character of the forcing function is highly complex and defined by a series of restricted and free shock separations. The subject of this paper is the determination of the magnitude of this loading during sub-scale testing via measurement of the structural dynamic response of the nozzle and its support structure. An initial attempt at back-calculating this load using the inverse of the transfer function was performed, but this attempt was shown to be highly susceptible to numerical error. The final method chosen was to use statically calibrated strain data and to filter out the system fundamental frequency such that the measured response yields close to the correct dynamic loading function. This method was shown to capture 93% of the pressure spectral energy using controlled load shaker testing. This method is one of the only practical ways for the inverse determination of the forcing function for non-stationary excitations, and, to the authors' knowledge, has not been described in the literature to date.

Brown, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS1987

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for high area ratio rocket nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

A preliminary uncertainty analysis was performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis is presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

Davidian, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

A preliminary uncertainty analysis has been performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis are presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

Kenneth J. Davidian↗
NASA NTRS1985

Rocket nozzle lip flow by direct simulation Monte Carlo method

The flow in the immediate vicinity of a rocket nozzle lip has been analyzed, and the results are presented. A rapid change in gas composition is observed in the flow around the lip depending principally on species molecular mass and local flow angle. The divergence of axial and radial temperatures indicating breakdown of translational equilibrium is observed in the results.

Hueser, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Experimental thrust performance of a high-area-ratio rocket nozzle

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the thrust performance attainable from high-area-ratio rocket nozzles. A modified Rao-contoured nozzle with an expansion area of 1030 was test fired with hydrogen-oxygen propellants at altitude conditions. The nozzle was also tested as a truncated nozzle, at an expansion area ratio of 428. Thrust coefficient and thrust coefficient efficiency values are presented for each configuration at various propellant mixture ratios (oxygen/fuel). Several procedural techniques were developed permitting improved measurement of nozzle performance. The more significant of these were correcting the thrust for the aneroid effects, determining the effective chamber pressure, and referencing differential pressure transducers to a vacuum reference tank.

Pavli, Albert J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Experimental thrust performance of a high area-ratio rocket nozzle

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine the thrust performance attainable from high-area-ratio rocket nozzles. A modified Rao-contoured nozzle with an expansion area of 1030 was test fired with hydrogen-oxygen propellants at altitude conditions. The nozzle was also tested as a truncated nozzle, at an expansion area ratio of 428. Thrust coefficient and thrust coefficient efficiency values are presented for each configuration at various propellant mixture ratios (oxygen/fuel). Several procedural techniques were developed permitting improved measurement of nozzle performance. The more significant of these were correcting the thrust for the aneroid effects, determining the effective chamber pressure, and referencing differential pressure transducers to a vacuum reference tank.

Pavli, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Parametric study of solar thermal rocket nozzle performance

This paper details a numerical investigation of performance losses in low-thrust solar thermal rocket nozzles. The effects of nozzle geometry on three types of losses were studied; finite rate dissociation-recombination kinetic losses, two dimensional axisymmetric divergence losses, and compressible viscous boundary layer losses. Short nozzle lengths and supersonic flow produce short residence times in the nozzle and a nearly frozen flow, resulting in large kinetic losses. Variations in geometry have a minimal effect on kinetic losses. Divergence losses are relatively small, and careful shaping of the nozzle can nearly eliminate them. The boundary layer in these small nozzles can grow to a major fraction of nozzle radius, and cause large losses. These losses are attributed to viscous drag on the nozzle walls and flow blockage by the boundary layer, especially in the throat region. Careful shaping of the nozzle can produce a significant reduction in viscous losses.

Pearson, J. Boise↗