Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University

Department of Fuel and Propellant Engineering

FP 5108: Principles and Construction of Rocketry

Basic Definitions and

Fundamental Equations

Prepared by: U Zaw Min Tun (M.E - Aerospace FP)

1
 Objectives

General Objective: To understand the important

of 1-D rocket performance equations
At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to
(1) Explain 1-D rockets performance equations
(2) Graph area ratio vs. Mach number for different heat
capacity ratios

2
 Outline
• Introduction

• Basic laws
• Specific impulse

• Fraction equations

• Velocity and Mach number

• Area ratio and thrust coefficient equaitons
• References

• Assignment
3
 Introduction

• 1 Dimensional rocket performance equations are easy to

understand but they are very effective to estimate the
initial design development step.
• It exhibits the major characteristics of many major
important flows in nozzles, diffusers, and combustors.
• Their derivation can be seen any thermodynamics and
rocket propulsion texts.

4
 Assumptions

• Perfect gas
• Constant specific heat of the gas
• Streamline fluid flow
• Isentropic flow
• Frictionless
• Absence of work and body forces

5
 Laws
• Rocket performance, as well as other fluid dynamics
problems is based on the following conservation
equations:

Continuity equation:  2 A2v2  1 A1v1

Momentum equation: P2   2 v2  P1   v
2
1 1
2

2 2
v v
Energy equation: h2  2
 h1  1
2 2
6
 Velocity Flow

Velocity flow is defined as the square root of the

enthalpy difference.

v2  2( h1 - h2 )

7
 Specific Impulse
Specific impulse, is a measure of the impulse or
momentum change that can be produced per unit mass
of propellant consumed.
• Final velocity of the vehicle at burnout
• Effect on range or size of payload, or both.

F
I sp 
m&
Delivered specific impulse in the motor: I spd   I
o
 spd

8
 Volumetric Loading Fraction
• In grain design, volumetric loading fraction is
defined as the fraction of available chamber volume
required for propellant.
• The available chamber volume is defined to be the
volume within the boundaries of the insulated case,
including the heads.
• Although is usually evaluated in terms of the two-
dimensional cross-sectional loading fraction

VP propellant volume
VL  
Va chamber volume available for propellant

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 Web Fraction
• Web fraction wf (the ratio of web to grain outer radius)
is one of the most significant parameters influencing
the selection of configuration type.
• The range of applicable web fractions depends on the
range of available propellant burning rates.

2rtb 2×inside radius of grain×burn time

wf  
D outside diameter of grain

10
 Burning Rate
The rate at which a propellant burns usually is described
by a reference value at a specific pressure.
Prediction:
• The propellant weight
• Mass flow rate (as a function of time).

The Vieille or de Saint Robert's

r  aP c
n
burning-rate law:
r = burning rate
a = pressure coefficient
P = chamber pressure
n = pressure exponent
Values for a and n usually are derived from data obtained with
subscale burning-rate motors 2 to 6 inches in diameter.
11
 Velocity of Sound (Acoustic Velocity)
• The velocity of sound or the acoustic velocity in ideal
gases is independent of pressure.
• The critical throat velocity is always equal to the
local acoustic velocity for ideal nozzles in which
critical conditions prevail.
• The divergent portion of a nozzle permits a further
decrease in pressure and increase in velocity above
the velocity of sound.
• If the nozzle is cut off at the throat section, the exit
gas velocity is sonic.

a   RT
12
 Mach Number
The Mach number is a dimensionless flow parameter
and is defined as the ratio of the flow velocity to the
local acoustic velocity.

u
M
a
M< 1 when the flow is subsonic
M> 1 when the flow is supersonic
M = 1 when the flow velocity is equal to the velocity of sound

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 Flow Equations in Nozzles and Diffusers
10

To  1 2
 1 M
T 2 1


po    1 2   1 T/T0
 1  M  P/P0

p  2  0.1
p/p0
A/A*

1
o    1 2   1
 1  M 
  2  0.01
0.1 1 10

Mach Number M at r =1.4

 1
A 1  2    1 2  2(  1)
  1  M 
A* M  1  2  14
 Expansion Ratio
Nozzle area ratio (or nozzle expansion ratio) is defined
as nozzle exit area divided by throat area.
When the flow is isentropic all along the nozzle, the exit
Mach number Me is given by:
 1
  1  2  1

At  2 
 Me  
Ae  1
 -1 2
Me 
 2 

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 Mass flow Rate and Exit Velocity
The supersonic mass-flow-rate and exit speed in the
isentropic discharge through a nozzle are:
 1
At Po  2   -1
m&  
RTo   1 

  -1

2 R   Pe  

ve  To 1-  
( -1) M   Po  
  R
R
M
Pe = 0 for a perfect nozzle in vacuo – the exhaust velocity has
a maximum value 16
 Thrust Coefficient
The ideal thrust coefficient is a function of the specific
heat ratio k, the ratio of the chamber pressure to the
nozzle exit pressure and the ambient pressure, and the
nozzle area ratio.

F 2  2 
2 (  1)/(  -1)
  P ( -1)/   P - P A
CF   1-  e    e atm e
Po At  -1    1    Po   Po At

17
 Effective Exhaust Velocity
The effective exhaust velocity is a function of specific
impulse and gravitational force.
• For convenience of a one dimensional analysis, it
is assumed that the axially directed velocity is
uniform over the full nozzle exit area.

c  I sp g o

18
 Characteristic Exhaust Velocity
• It is basically a function of the propellant
characteristics and combustion chamber design.
• It is used in comparing the relative performance of
different chemical rocket propulsion system designs
and propellants.
• It relates to the efficiency of the combustion.

 1
c Po At RTo 1    1   1
c 
*
   
CF m& M  2 

19
 Combustion Parameter Vs. c*
5500

5000

4500
Characteristic Exhaust Velocity (c*)

4000

3500

γ =1.2
3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Combustion Parameter (Tc/M)^1/2

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 Mass Ratio and Propellant Mass Fraction
The mass ratio of a vehicle or a particular vehicle stage is
defined to be the final mass (after rocket operation has
consumed all usable propellant) divided by (before
rocket operation).
mf
MR 
m0

The propellant mass fraction indicates the fraction of

propellant mass in an initial mass.

mo - m f mp
  
m0 mp  m f
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 Practicing Examples

• Page 60: 2.5.2 Example calculation

• Page 62: 2.6 Worked example

From Reference 1

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 Main References
1. Principles, Practice and New Developments, 3rd
Edition, Martin J.L Turner, Springer(2009)
2. Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines, Dieter
K.Huzel and David H.Hung, Scientific and Technical
Information Devision, NASA(1967)
3. Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, 2nd
Edition, Philip G.Hill, Carl Peterson, AWL(1999)
4. Solid Propellant Internal Grain Design and Internal
Ballistics, SP 8076, NASA(1972)
5. www.nasa.gov

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 Assignments

• Draw the graph Ae/At vs Mach number (0 -3.5) for γ

=1.2, γ =1.3, γ = 1.4.
• Draw the graph CF vs. Pe/Po (0-0.05) for γ = 1.2, γ
=1.3, γ =1.4 by assuming Pe = Patm.
Need to submit with excel results and make discussion
based on literatures.

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Thank You!

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