Altitude-compensating axisymmetric supersonic nozzle design and flow analysis

Abstract

Altitude-adapted nozzles are designed to facilitate flow adaptation during rocket ascent in the atmosphere, without requiring mechanical activation. As a consequence, the performance of the nozzle is significantly improved. The aim of this study is to develop a new profile of axisymmetric supersonic nozzles adapted at altitude (Dual Bell Nozzle with Central Body), which is characterized by an E-D nozzle as a basic profile. The performances obtained for this nozzle (E-D Nozzle) are then compared to those of a Plug nozzle. The E-D nozzle shows significant performance advantages over the Plug nozzle, including a 13.02% increase in thrust, knowing that the length of the E-D nozzle is half that of the Plug nozzle under the same design conditions. Finally, viscous calculations using the k-ω SST turbulence model were conducted to compare the performance of the dual bell nozzle with central body (DBNCB) and the E-D nozzle with the same cross-sectional ratio, and to assess the impact of nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) variations on the operation mode of the DBNCB. The results obtained show that the DBNCB offers the best performance in most phases of flight.