Converging-Diverging Nozzle The behaviour is governed by the ratio of back pressure pback to total pressure p0.

For pressures above psub the flow remains subsonic throughout. For pressures below psub the flow goes supersonic at the throat; the throat is choked and the maximum mass flow rate is achieved. At the design pressure pdesign the flow passes smoothly from subsonic to supersonic without shocks. To determine psub and pdesign, since A* = Athroat, use the subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers corresponding to isentropic flow with area ratio Aexit/Athroat: p sub 1 = /( 1) p0 1 + 1 ( 1)Ma 2 sub
2

p design p0

2 ( 1)Ma design where Masub and Madesign are the subsonic and supersonic solutions, respectively, of 1 2

Aexit 1 1 + ( 1)Ma = 1 Athroat Ma ( + 1) 2

1 2

For back pressures between psub and pdesign there are shocks inside the nozzle or in the exit jet. At pshock-exit a shock occurs at the exit plane. This value can be computed by assuming a normal shock with upstream values pdesign and Madesign and downstream pressure pshock-exit: 1 Ma 2 p shock exit design 2 ( 1) = 1 ( + 1) p design 2

The maximum mass flow rate occurs when the throat is sonic:
mmax =
1/ 2

p0 Athroat RT0

2 +1

Nomenclature p = pressure; p0 = total pressure; Ma = Mach number; = ratio of specific heat capacities; A = cross-sectional area; m = mass flow rate.

1 2

+1 1

[1 +

/( 1)

1 2

+1 1