Analysis of Various Nozzle Designs to Improve Rocket Engine Performance
Vidyut C Murali
The International School Bangalore (TISB)
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http://doi.org/10.37648/ijiest.v11i01.012
Abstract
This paper suggests a nozzle geometry that has the greatest potential to improve rocket engine parameters, such as thrust and efficiency, beyond their current status. Increasing these would increase the payload mass that can be sent into space and help create a viable Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) platform. Various performance metrics and physical phenomena regarding rocket science, particularly rocket engines, are explained. Next, the paper discusses various nozzle geometries and discuss their performance benefits and drawbacks. This is followed by an analysis of the risk and the payoff factors of each of the nozzle geometries proposed and a recommendation on which shows the most promise. This paper has found that dual bell and aerospike nozzles have acceptable risk-to-payoff ratios and the former should be developed and integrated into existing platforms until the technology for the latter reaches its maturity. One limitation of the discussion presented is that it is limited to nozzle geometries that have already been discussed, hence no novel geometries can be proposed by this paper.
Keywords: aerospike nozzle; two step nozzle; expansion deflection nozzle; dual bell nozzle; altitude compensation; overexpansion; underexpansion
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