Performance improvement of supersonic nozzles design using a high-temperature model

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the development of new contours of axisymmetric supersonic nozzles giving a uniform and parallel flow at the exit section, to improve the aerodynamic performances compared to the minimum length nozzle, by increasing the exit Mach number and the thrust coefficient, and by reduction of the nozzle's mass, while holding the same throat section between the two nozzles. The new nozzle is named the best performance nozzle. Its form contains a cylindrical central body and an external wall for the flow redress. The study is done at high temperature, lower than the dissociation threshold of the molecules. The variation of the specific heats with the temperature is considered. The design is made by the method of characteristics. The predictor-corrector algorithm is used to make the numerical resolution of the obtained nonlinear algebraic equations. The validation of results is made by the convergence of the numerical critical sections ratio with that given by the theory. The comparison of the results is made with the minimum length nozzle since it is currently used in the aerospace propulsion. The design depends on M E, T0, y body, y*, and the mesh generation. The application is done with air. A computational fluid dynamics verification for the under nozzle expressed regime has shown that a flow separation with the wall is observed because of the side-loads, which are reduced for this new nozzle compared to the minimum length nozzle.