Fundamentals of Rocket Propulsion

Chapter 2 Definitions and Basic Parameters

Lectured by Prof. Liang Guozhu

Department of Rocket Propulsion, School of Astronautics, Beijing University of Aero. & Astro.(BUAA) September 2011

2 2.1 2.1.1

Definitions and Basic Parameters

Main Performance Parameters of Thrust Chamber Thrust

Fig.2- 1 shows schematically the external pressure acting uniformly on the outer surface and the internal gas pressure acting on the inside surface of a typical rocket engine thrust chamber.

Fig.2- 1 Pressure distribution on chamber and nozzle inside and outer surfaces

1 Thrust F

& F = mu e + ( p e p a ) Ae
Discussion: 2 Characteristic thrust Fc

& Fcmue
3 Effective exhaust velocity uef (an imaginary exhaust velocity)

u ef = u e +
4 Altitude performance of rocket engines/Motors 2.1.2 Nozzle Exhaust Velocity

pe p a Ae & m

1. Nozzle Exhaust velocity ue

k 1 pe k 2k 1 RT f k 1 p c

ue =

or

ue =

k 1 2 k R0 p e k Tf 1 k 1 m pc

Discussion: main factors combustion temperature average molecular weight specific heat ratio pressure expansion ratio 2. Effective Exhaust velocity uef

u ef = u e +

pe p a Ae & m

3. Maximum theoretical value of the nozzle outlet velocity, i.e. maximum exhaust velocity umax

u L = 2 H 0 = 2c p T f =

2k RT f k 1

2.1.3

Mass Flow Rate and Characteristic Velocity

& 1. Mass flow rate m

& m= p c At RT f
k +1

2 2( k 1) = k k +1
2. Coefficient of mass flow rate C D

& m = C D pc At cD =
3. Characteristic Velocity c
*

RT f

& m=

p c At c*

c* =

1 = CD

RT f

1550 ~ 2400m / s ( for liquid rocket thrust chambers ) c* = 1500 ~ 1800m / s ( for solid motors)
2.1.4 Thrust Coefficient 1. Thrust coefficient C F
3

F = CF pc At
k 1 2k pe k Ae pe p a 1 + CF = k 1 p c At pc pc

2. Characteristic thrust coefficient CF

0 CF = k 1 pe k 2k 1 k 1 pc

3. Nozzle area expansion ratio (De Laval nozzle)

=
4. Relationship between the nozzle area ratio

Ae At

Ae p and the nozzle pressure ratio e At pc

k +1

Ae = At

2 2 ( k 1) k k +1 pe k p c
1 k 1 2k p e k 1 k 1 pc

5. Maximum thrust Fmax and Maximum thrust coefficient CF ,max For any fixed pressure ratio between the chamber pressure pc and the nozzle exit pressure pe the thrust coefficient CF has a maximum value when pe = pa . This value is also known as the optimum thrust coefficient. This maximum value can be derived by differentiation of the expression of the thrust coefficient

CF with respect to the pressure ratio pc pa ,namely, dCF d( pc pe ) , and then setting the derivative
equal to zero, that is:

dCF d( pc pe ) =0
Corresponding to the maximum thrust coefficient, the gas expansion in the nozzle is called optimum expansion(See Fig.2- 2). Three working states of nozzle: Underexpansion Optimum expansion Overexpansion The thrust coefficient is plotted in Fig.2- 2 as a function of the pressure ratio and the area ratio for k =1.30. The set of curves are useful in solving various nozzle problems, for they permit an evaluation of under- and overexpansion. The values given in this figure is ideal and do not consider any losses such as nozzle divergence, friction, or internal shock waves.

Fig.2- 2

Thrust coefficient CF versus area ratio =

Ae for k =1.30 At

2.1.5

Total Impulse and Specific Impulse 1. Action time t a 2. Burning time(duration) tb (for solid motors)

Fig.2- 3

Action time and Burning time

3. Total Impulse I t Definition:

5

I =
Average thrust

ta

Fdt

F =

ta

Fdt

ta

I = Fta
If thrust is a constant,then I = Fta

4. Specific Impulse I s Definition:

t & & I = mu ef dt , 0a mdt = M p , uef constant 0

ta

I=Mpuef

Is =

I Mp

Ns/kg or m/s

2500 ~ 3300m/s, up to above 4000m/s(high energy propellants, such as SSME : 4464m/s(vacuum)3562m/s(ground), Is = for liquid rocket thrust chambers ) 2100 ~ 2600m / s ( for solid motors)
5. Specific thrust Fs Definition:

Fs =

F & m

N(kgs)]

or [ms]

2.1.6

Primary Relations Among the Main Performance Parameters of Thrust Chambers 1. Relation Between I s and uef Is = uef 2. Relation Between I s and c
*

and C F Is = c* CF

3. Other relations

Fig.2- 4

Main relations for thrust chamber performance parameters

2.2

Theoretical Values and Actual Values of Thrust Chambers

2.2.1 Actual Characteristic Velocity

* pc At & m ta ta * pc At A * dt cac = t * cac mp

* cac =

& mdt =

ta

* pc dt

2.2.2 Actual Thrust Coefficient

C F ,ac

F = * pc At

ta

* Fdt = C F ,ac pc At dt C F ,ac 0

ta

Fdt = I = A p dt A p dt
0 ac ta t 0 * c ta t 0 * c

ta

2.2.3 Actual Specific Impulse

I s,ac =

F I s,ac = & m

ta

0 ta

Fdt & mdt

* I s,ac = cac C F ,ac

2.2.4 Impulse Coefficient 1. Impulse coefficient of the combustion chamber (or combustion efficiency)

c =
*

* cac * cid

Its value is high.

c =0.94~0.99 approximately.
*

Propellants burn to varying degrees of completeness depending on the fuel, the oxidizer, their ratios, the energy losses, and the environmental within the engine or the motor. For solid rocket motors, propellants with non-metal fuels usually burn with an efficiency of 97 or 98% as contrasted to 90 to 96% for propellants with aluminum powder as the fuel. The solid particles in the exhaust do not contribute to the gas expansion, require energy to be accelerated and two-phase flow is less efficient. 2. Impulse coefficient of the nozzle (or nozzle efficiency)

C =
F

CF ,ac CF ,id

C =0.88~0.97.
F

3. Impulse coefficient of the thrust chamber

I =
s

I s ,ac I s ,id
* F

I = c C
s

I =0.82~0.96.
s

2.3

Main Engine Parameters This section is mainly used for liquid rocket engine.

2.3.1

Thrust of Engine

The thrust of an engine F is defined as:

F = Fi + Ftc + F
1

2.3.2

Total impulse of Engine

The total impulse of an engine I is defined as:

I = F dt
0

ta

2.3.3

Specific impulse

The specific impulse of an engine I s, is defined as:

I s , =

F & m
i =1 n i

& & + mtc + m

8

2.3.4

Thrust-to-mass ratio

The thrust-to-mass ratio of an engine rF ,m is defined as:

rF ,m =

F m0

m0 loaded propulsion system mass which usually consists of engine hardware mass (engine hardware
plus hardware necessary to store propellant) and the loaded propellant mass. m0 may be called the wet mass of engines.

1.0~1.3kN/kg(for moden liquid engines, at chamber pressure of 15~20MPa) rF ,m = 0.05(for low thrust units)~2kN/kg(for high thrust units)
The Thrust-to-weight ratio rF ,G is also used as follows:

rF ,G =

rF ,m g

FOR CHEMICAL ROCKET ENGINE (SOLID OR LIQUID BIPROPELLANT), rF ,G IS APPROXIMATELY WITHIN THE
RANGE OF 10
-2

~100 (REFERRING TO FULL PROPULSION SYSTEM SEA LEVEL WEIGHT WITH PROPELLANTS,

BUT WITHOUT PAYLOAD).

2.3.5

Specific propellant consumption

Specific propellant consumption =

& m 1 = F Is

2.3.6

Mass ratio of a vehicle or a particular vehicle stage or a engine

The mass ratio of a vehicle or a particular vehicle stage or a engineis defined as:

mf m0

2.3.7

Propellant mass fraction of a vehicle or a particular vehicle stage or a engine

The propellant mass fraction of a vehicle or a particular vehicle stage or a engine

is defined as:

mp m0

=1- 2.3.8 Impulse-to-mass ratio

It Ft = Is m0 m f + m p
9

A high value indicates an efficient design. As the fraction of propellant becomes very large ( approaches 1.0), the value of the impulse-to-mass ratio approaches that of the specific impulse. The value of the impulse-to-mass ratio cannot exceed the value of the specific impulse. 2.4 2.4.1 Energy and Efficiencies of Rocket Engines Kinetic energy of the ejected matter

The kinetic energy of the ejected matter E jet is defined as:

E jet =
2.4.2 Power of the jet

1 2 mue 2

The power of the jet Pjet is defined as:

Pjet =

dE jet dt

1 2 & mue 2

For the nozzle with optimum expansion ratio, there is

Pjet =
2.4.3 Specific power

dE jet dt

1 2 1 2 1 1 & & mue = mI s = FI s = Fue 2 2 2 2

Pjet m0
2.4.4 Power input to a chemical engine

The power input to a chemical engine Pchem is defined as:

& Pchem = mQR

2.4.5 Power transmitted to the vehicle

The Power transmitted to the vehicle Pvehicle is defined as:

Pvehicle = Fv
vvehicle velocity. 2.4.6 Internal efficiency

The Internal efficiency

int is defined as:

10

int =

Pjet Pchem

2.4.7

Propulsive efficiency

At the condition of optimum expansion, the propulsive efficiency

p is defined as:

p =

vehicle energy vehicle energy + residual kinetic jet energy Pvehicle = Pvehicle + residual kinetic jet energy

Fv
1 & Fv + m(uef v) 2 2

2v / uef 1 + (v / uef ) 2

Propusive efficiency-velocity ratio 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Propusive efficiency calculated

0.5

1.5 Velocity ratio

2.5

Fig.2- 5 2.4.8 Overall efficiency

Propulsive efficiency at varying velocities

The overall efficiency

overall is defined as:

overall =

vehicle power maximum energy available to the vehicle from the engine Pvehcle = 1 & Pchem + m p v 2 2
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2.4.9

Typical performance values Typical values of representative performance parameters for different types of rocket propulsion are

given in Table 2- 1.
Table 2- 1 Ranges of Typical Performance Parameters for Various Rocket Propulsion Systems

2.5

ASSIGNMENT Study the altitude performance of YF-20 engine thrust chamber used for launch vehicle CZ-2 first stage.

The following data are given: combustion chamber pressure pc =6.98MPa, nozzle area ratio

A =12.69,

& nozzle throat diameter d t =278mm, mass flow rate or propellant m =263.87kg/s, combustion temperature
Tc = 3200K, specific heat ratio of hot gas k =1.15, gas constant R =380J/kg.K. Compile a program to
calculate and draw the curves of thrust F and specific impulse I s versus altitude (0~100km), furthermore to analyze them. Hand in the electronic report and computer program.

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