Rocket

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction

 Aircraft engine application is limited to altitudes of about

100,000 ft or less. But Rocket can function outside the
atmosphere
 Rocket can operate in vacuum and achieve any altitude
The thrust of the rocket engines is independent of the flight
speed
 Rocket works based on Newton’s law of motion
 Rockets carry own oxidizer and fuel tank

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Newton’s First law - Applied to Rocket Liftoff

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..

Rocket Engine Thrust

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..

Forces on a Model Rocket

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Flight of a Model Rocket

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Forces at Liftoff

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Acceleration at Liftoff

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Forces in Powered Flight

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Forces in Coasting Flight

The rocket uses up all its fuel, the engine

goes out and the thrust goes to zero
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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Forces during Recovery

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Rocket Propulsion-Introduction Cont..
Terminal Velocity

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Rocket Propulsion- Types
Rockets can be classified by
A.Based on source of energy
1. Chemical Rockets 2. Solar Rockets 3. Electrical Rockets
4. Nuclear Rockets

B.Based on propellant
1. Liquid propellant 2. Solid propellant 3. Hybrid propellant

C.Based on application field

1. Space rocket 2. Military rocket 3. Aircraft rocket 4. Booster rocket

D.Based on number stage

1. Single stage rocket 2. Multi stage rocket

E.Based on size and range

1. Short range and small rocket 2. Long range and large rocket

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Rocket Propulsion- Chemical Rocket Propellants

Solid Propellant

Liquid Propellant

 Propellant is a chemical mixture burned to produce thrust in rockets and

consists of a fuel and oxidizer

 In a liquid system the fuel and oxidizer are separately stored and are
sprayed under high pressure (20 to 60 bar) into the combustion chamber

 In solid system, both fuel and oxidizer are contained in the propellant
grain and the burning takes place on the surface of the propellant
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Rocket Propulsion- Solid Propellant grains
Well mixed fuel and oxidizer called as Propellant grain.
Several grain configurations are employed to obtain burning
at the desired rate.

Propellant cross section

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Rocket Propulsion- Solid Propellants

Star-grained solid
rocket motor

Fuel : Plastic, Resin material

Oxidizer : Nitrates, Perchlorates

Exit velocity range

1500 m/s to 3000 m/s
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Rocket Propulsion- Hybrid Propellants
Regulator

-
Oxidizer injector Nozzle
Liquid
oxidizer

Solid Fuel
Fuel : Solid type Oxidizer : Liquid type

Beryllium hydride(Be-H2 ) Fluorine(F2 )

Lithium hydride (Li H) Chlorine Trifluoride(ClF3 )
Lithium hydride (Li H) Nitrogen tetroxide(N2O4 )
Hydrocarbon(CH2)n Nitrogen tetroxide(N2O4 )
Special Type: Hypergolic propellants
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Rocket Propulsion- Liquid Propellant Types
Liquid Propellants

Monopropellant Bipropellant
Fuel and Oxidizer in a single chemical – Monopropellants
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Hydrazine (N2H4), Nitro methane (CH3NO2)

Fuel and Oxidizers are different in chemical - Bipropellants

Oxidizer Fuel mox/mf Combustion

temperature (K)

Liquid Oxygen Gasoline, Hydrazine, 2.5, 0.92, 3294, 3400

UDMH, Ethanol 1.65, 1.8 3600, 3422
Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrazine, 1.84 2817
UDMH 4.54 2922

Nitric acid (RFNA) Aniline, 3.00 3045

Hydrazine 1.47 3083

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Rocket Propulsion- Propellant Properties
Liquid Propellants
1) Energy released during combustion should be high
2) High density propellants are preferred
3) Low freezing point propellants are preferred
4) Non-corrosive, chemically stable and should not absorb moisture
5) Low values of vapor pressure and viscosity are preferred
6) They should not be poisonous and hazardous
7) It should be cheap and abundantly available

Solid Propellants
1) Propellants should be easily available and safe to handle
2) Physical and chemical properties should not change considerably during
processing as well as during time
3) It should release large amount of heat energy during combustion
4) They should be chemically inert before ignition
5) Low molecular weight and high density of propellants are preferred
6) Exhaust gases should be smokeless and colorless
7) Propellants should not react with atmospheric air and moisture

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Rocket Propulsion- Liquid Propellant feed system

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Liquid Propellant feed system - Cont..

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Liquid Propellant feed system - Cont..
Pressure Fed system

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Rocket Thrust
Solid Motor

Liquid Motor

. .
m  me   e ce Ae
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Rocket Nozzle

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Rocket Nozzle- Function
 The function of the nozzle is to convert the chemical-thermal energy
generated in the combustion chamber into kinetic energy.

 The nozzle converts the slow moving, high pressure, high temperature gas
in the combustion chamber into high velocity gas of lower pressure and
temperature. Since thrust is the product of mass and velocity, a very high
gas velocity is desirable.

 The nozzle is usually made long enough (or the exit area is great enough)
such that the pressure in the combustion chamber is reduced at the nozzle
exit to the pressure existing outside the nozzle.

 It is under this condition, Pe=Po, where Pe is the pressure at the nozzle exit
and Po is the outside ambient pressure, that thrust is maximum and the
nozzle is said to be adapted, also called optimum or correct expansion.

 When Pe is greater than Po, the nozzle is under-extended. When the

opposite is true, it is over-extended.

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Rocket Nozzle- Function

C-D Nozzle

  

The most efficient nozzle (1) is contoured to the exhaust stream, allowing the escaping
gas to expand just enough to fill the nozzle.

A nozzle that lets the gas expand too much (2), or too little (3), wastes the energy and
thrust potential of the exhaust system.

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Rocket Propulsion – Combustion-Liquid Propellant
Combustion process involves: injection, atomization, mixing, vaporization, ignition and
exothermic chemical reaction between fuel and oxidizer
Propellant Injectors

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Rocket Propulsion – Solid Fuel Geometry
A solid fuel's geometry determines the area and contours of its exposed
surfaces, and thus its burn pattern. There are two main types of solid fuel
blocks used in the space industry. These are cylindrical blocks, with combustion
at a front, or surface, and cylindrical blocks with internal combustion.

In the first case, the front of the flame

travels in layers from the nozzle end
of the block towards the top of the
casing. This so-called end burner
produces constant thrust throughout
the burn.

In the second, more usual case, the

combustion surface develops along
the length of a central channel.
Sometimes the channel has a star
shaped, or other, geometry to
moderate the growth of this surface.

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Rocket Propulsion – Solid Fuel Geometry- Thrust profile

Cylindrical Channel – Progressive Cylindrical Channel with central

burning cylinder- Neutral burning

Star Profile Cruciform Profile – Regressive

burning

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Rocket Propulsion – Solid Fuel Geometry- Thrust profile

Double anchor profile

Cog profile

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Rocket Propulsion- Solid motor- Combustion
Linear burning rate
The burning rate of the propellant grain depends on the initial temperature of the
grain before combustion, equilibrium combustion pressure and the ratio of grain
surface area and the nozzle throat area.

The burning surface of a rocket propellant grain recedes in a direction

perpendicular to this burning surface. The rate of regression, typically measured
in millimeters per second (or inches per second), is termed burn rate.

The linear burning rate is given by, Saint-Roberts law (regression law) r  aPcn
where r- burn rate ; a-burn rate coefficient ; Pc - combustor pressure
n-pressure exponent (range 0.2 to 0.8)
a =f (chemical composition, initial temperature of the propellant grain )
n =f( combustor pressure)
Combustion limit
Solid propellant grain requires certain minimum value of the combustion
pressure for stable combustion. This minimum value of the pressure is
known as the combustion limit ( it depends on type of propellant employed)
Usually it lies between the range of 5 and 55 bar
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Rocket Propulsion- Solid motor- Combustion
.
.
Propellant consumption rate, n
m c   rAc   a Pc Ac .
mp
Propellant flow rate,
. .
m p  mc 
d
( V ) (1)
dt

mass of gas in bore

Equilibrium Combustion Pressure

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Solid motor- Combustion Cont..
Propellant area ratio

The ratio of the surface area available for burning of a propellant grain and the
throat area of the exhaust nozzle is known as the propellant area ratio ( Kp)

Ac r and Kp increase with the combustion pressure

Kp
A*

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Rocket Nozzle- Function
 The function of the nozzle is to convert the chemical-thermal energy
generated in the combustion chamber into kinetic energy.

 The nozzle converts the slow moving, high pressure, high temperature gas
in the combustion chamber into high velocity gas of lower pressure and
temperature. Since thrust is the product of mass and velocity, a very high
gas velocity is desirable.

 The nozzle is usually made long enough (or the exit area is great enough)
such that the pressure in the combustion chamber is reduced at the nozzle
exit to the pressure existing outside the nozzle.

 It is under this condition, Pe=Po, where Pe is the pressure at the nozzle exit
and Po is the outside ambient pressure, that thrust is maximum and the
nozzle is said to be adapted, also called optimum or correct expansion.

 When Pe is greater than Po, the nozzle is under-extended. When the

opposite is true, it is over-extended.

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