A REPORT ON

“CFD Analysis of Convergent Divergent Rocket Nozzle”

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT
IN
AIRCRAFT PROPULSION II

Submitted By
“Ruchi Saraf” (USN:1DS16AE038)
“Subhashree S” (USN:1DS16AE047)
“Samiksha Prasad” (USN:1DS16AE040)

Under the guidance of

Mr. Dharmendra P.
(Subject teacher of AP-II)
Assistant Professor
Department of Aeronautical Engineering

DAYANANDA SAGAR COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AAT Marks awarded out of 10

 CONTENTS

1. Introduction
1.1 Relation between velocity and area
2. Literature Survey
3. Methodology
3.1 Modelling
3.2 Meshing
3.3 Boundary Conditions
3.4 Analysis
4. Results and Discussions
4.1 Static Pressure
4.2 Dynamic Pressure
4.3 Mach Number
4.4 Discussions
5. Conclusions
6. References
 1. INTRODUCTION

A nozzle is a device which is used to give the direction to the gases coming out of the
combustion chamber. Nozzle is a tube which has a capacity to convert the thermo-chemical
energy generated in the combustion chamber into kinetic energy. The nozzle converts the low
velocity, high pressure, high temperature gas in the combustion chamber into high velocity gas
of lower pressure and low temperature. A convergent-divergent nozzle is used if the nozzle
pressure ratio is high. High performance engines in supersonic aircrafts generally incorporate
some form of a convergent-divergent nozzle. Our analysis is carried using softwares like Ansys
Workbench for designing of the nozzle and Fluent 15.0 for analysing the flows in the nozzle.
In the present days there is a huge development in Aerospace Engineering for in various
prospects. Extensive research is being carried out in the fields like civil and defence prospects.
The virtualization is one of the major developments in the field of research, which has
revolutionized Aerospace engineering, along with all other branches. The computational
techniques are being used widely for getting better results, which are close to experimental
techniques. The flow through a convergent-divergent nozzle is one of the benchmark problems
used for modelling the compressible flow through computational fluid dynamics. In this paper
CFD analysis of a convergent divergent rocket nozzle is done by varying the number of
divisions in Mesh and obtaining results for various parameters like pressure, temperature,
properties, wall fluxes, Mesh, velocity and adaption.

1.1 RELATION BETWEEN VELOCITY AND AREA

In a CD nozzle, the hot exhaust leaves the combustion chamber and converges down to the
minimum area, or throat, of the nozzle. The throat size is chosen to choke the flow and set the
mass flow rate through the system. The flow in the throat is sonic which means the Mach
number is equal to one in the throat. Downstream of the throat, the geometry diverges and the
flow is isentropically expanded to a supersonic Mach number that depends on the area ratio of
the exit to the throat. The expansion of a supersonic flow causes the static pressure and
temperature to decrease from the throat to the exit, so the amount of the expansion also
determines the exit pressure and temperature. The exit temperature determines the exit speed
of sound, which determines the exit velocity. The exit velocity, pressure, and mass flow
through the nozzle determines the amount of thrust produced by the nozzle.

On this slide we derive the equations which explain and describe why a supersonic flow
accelerates in the divergent section of the nozzle while a subsonic flow decelerates in a
divergent duct. We begin with the conservation of mass equation:

mdot = r * V * A = constant (1.1.1)

where mdot is the mass flow rate, r is the gas density, V is the gas velocity, and A is the
cross-sectional flow area. If we differentiate this equation, we obtain:

V * A * dr + r * A * dV + r * V * dA = 0 (1.1.2)

divide by (r * V * A) to get:

dr / r + dV / V + dA / A = 0 (1.1.3)

Now we use the conservation of momentum equation:

r * V * dV = - dp (1.1.4)

and an isentropic flow relation:

dp / p = gam * dr / r (1.1.5)

where gam is the ratio of specific heats. We can use algebra on this equation to obtain:

dp = gam * p / r * dr (1.1.6)

and use the equation of state

p/r=R*T (1.1.7)

where R is the gas constant and T is temperature, to get:

dp = gam * R * T * dr (1.1.8)

gam * R * T is the square of the speed of sound a:

dp = (a^2) * dr (1.1.9)

Combining this equation for the change in pressure with the momentum equation we obtain:

r * V * dV = - (a^2) * dr (1.1.10)

V / (a^2) * dV = - dr / r (1.1.11)

- (M^2) * dV / V = dr / r (1.1.12)

using the definition of the Mach number M = V / a. Now we substitute this value of (dr /r)
into the mass flow equation to get:

- (M^2) * dV / V + dV / V + dA / A = 0 (1.1.13)
 (1 - M^2) * dV / V = - dA / A (1.1.14)

This equation tells us how the velocity V changes when the area A changes, and the results
depend on the Mach number Mof the flow. If the flow is subsonic then (M < 1) and the term
multiplying the velocity change is positive (1 - M^2 > 0). An increase in the area (dA > 0 )
produces a negative increase (decrease) in the velocity (dV < 0). For our CD nozzle, if the flow
in the throat is subsonic, the flow downstream of the throat will decelerate and stay subsonic.
So if the converging section is too large and does not choke the flow in the throat, the exit
velocity is very slow and doesn't produce much thrust. On the other hand, if the converging
section is small enough so that the flow chokes in the throat, then a slight increase in area
causes the flow to go supersonic. For a supersonic flow (M > 1) the term multiplying velocity
change is negative (1 - M^2 < 0). Then an increase in the area (dA > 0) produces an increase
in the velocity (dV > 0). This effect is exactly the opposite of what happens subsonically. Why
the big difference? Because, to conserve mass in a supersonic (compressible) flow, both the
density and the velocity are changing as we change the area. For subsonic (incompressible)
flows, the density remains fairly constant, so the increase in area produces only a change in
velocity. But in supersonic flows, there are two changes; the velocity and the density. The
equation:

- (M^2) * dV / V = dr / r (1.1.15)

tells us that for M > 1, the change in density is much greater than the change in velocity. To
conserve both mass and momentum in a supersonic flow, the velocity increases and the density
decreases as the area is increased.
 2. LITERATURE SURVEY
[1]: IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-
ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 13, Issue 4 Ver.

Abstract: A rocket nozzle is a mechanical device which is designed to control the rate of flow,
speed, direction and pressure of stream that exhaust through it.There are various types of rocket
nozzles which are used depending upon the mission of the rocket. This paper contains analysis
over a convergent divergent rocket nozzle which is performed by varying the number of
divisions in mesh. Also the various contours of nozzle like Cell Equiangle skew, Cell Reynolds
number, Pressure,Velocity, Mach Number,and above are calculated at each type of mesh using
CFD analysis software ANSYS Fluent.A convergent-divergent nozzle is designed for attaining
speeds that are greater than speed of sound. The design of this nozzle is obtained from the area-
velocity relation ( dA / dV ) = -(A/V)(1-M^2) where M is the Mach number (which means the
ratio of local speed of flow to the local speed of sound) A is area and V is velocity.

Fig 2.1 A Typical CD nozzle

From the above fig we can observe that

a. The decrease in Area results in the increase of pressure and decrease in velocity as seen in
the above figure at the entry of the nozzle.

b. The increase in area results in increasing the velocity at the exit of the nozzle by decreasing
the pressure.

M<1 Subsonic speed

M=1 Sonic speed

M>1 Supersonic speed

 3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Modelling

The Geometry of the nozzle was created using ANSYS WORKBENCH 18.3.

Fig. 3.1.1: Design Parameters for the CD nozzle as per the referred journal

Table 3.1.1: Design Parameters Specifications

Fig 3.1.2: Design component of the CD nozzle converted to surface plane

3.2 Meshing In ANSYS Workbench

After the modelling is completed the meshing is to be done. The module used to perform
meshing is Fluid Flow (Fluent).

The mesh is done considering the edge sizing of the inlet, outlet, and wall with 200 divisions
and a bias factor of 10.

Surface meshing is then done.

Number of Nodes present: 77393

Number of Elements present: 76800

Fig.3.2.1 edge sizing of the walls Fig 3.2.2 edge sizing of the inlet and
exit

Fig3.2.3 Meshing structure of the considered Journal.

 Fig3.2.3: Face meshing structure of the CD nozzle

3.3 Boundary Conditions

1. Mass flow inlet

2. Outlet

3. Walls

Specification of the boundary zones has to be done in WORKBENCH only, as there is no

possibility to specify the boundary zones in FLUENT. Therefore, proper care has to be taken
while defining the boundary conditions in WORKBENCH. With all the zones defined properly
the mesh is exported to the solver. The solver used in this problem is ANSYS FLUENT. The
exported mesh file is read in Fluent for solving the problem.
3.4 Analysis Procedure

The following procedure is followed and the results are validated.

Table 3.4.1: Initialisation values for setup

 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Static Pressure

Fig4.1.1: Static Pressure Obtained over the nozzle

Fig 4.1.2: Static Pressure obtained in the considered Journal.

Static pressure: the pressure of a fluid on a body when the latter is at rest relative to it. As we
can compare both the static pressure results, we can notice that there is slight variation in the
pressure that is obtained in the exit section on the nozzle with the throat pressure and the inlet
pressure show very less or no variation at all. The slight variation that is obtained may be due
to minor errors while meshing the nozzle.
4.2 Dynamic Pressure

Fig 4.2.1: Dynamic Pressure Obtained.

Fig 4.2.2: Dynamic Pressure obtained in the considered Journal.

Dynamic pressure: It is the increase in a moving fluid's pressure over its static value due to
motion. As we can observe the two figures of the dynamic pressures seen in the CD nozzle and
the journal paper have different dynamic pressure variation as there is a high chance of the
diameter of the CD nozzle varying of about 10-15%.
4.3 Mach Number

Fig 4.3.1: Mach number variation Obtained.

Fig 4.3.2: Mach number variation obtained in the considered Journal.

Mach number: the ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium.
As noticed in the above two cases i.e. static pressure and dynamic pressure, the Mach number
also varies at the exit section of the nozzle due to the slight errors in the dimensions of the exit
diameter of the nozzle.
4.4 Discussions

Fig 4.4.1: Maximum inlet flow of the CD Nozzle

Fig 4.4.1: Minimum inlet flow of the CD nozzle.

Fig 4.4.2: Maximum Pressure on the inlet of the CD nozzle

Fig 4.4.3: Minimum Pressure on the inlet of the CD nozzle.

 5. CONCLUSION

A nozzle model was developed to determine the pressure, Mach number, Various steps of the
model were validated with good accordance with the experimental data and numerical results
found in the literature. The contours of the above-mentioned parameters are found after
analysing the model successfully in the solver. Also, the minimum and maximum values are
tabulated.
Computer aided solutions are developed using Fluent Analysis. Solutions are evaluated at
different Mach numbers corresponding Mass flow rates, Maximum Velocity, Maximum
Pressure, Maximum force are determined. Mass Flow rates were found to decrease
monotonically with Mach numbers. Variation in static pressure increases with Mach number
less than 6 and was found to be identical from the inlet throat to the exit for Mach number
values higher than 6. With the corresponding increase of Mach number corresponding velocity
also increases. Maximum forces alternately increase and decrease with respect to Mach
number.
Solutions are evaluated at different Nozzle pressure ratios (NPR) corresponding Mass flow
rates, Maximum Velocity, Maximum Pressure, Maximum force are determined. Mass Flow
rates were found to decrease monotonically with Nozzle pressure ratios (NPR).Variation in
static pressure increases with Nozzle pressure ratios(NPR).With the corresponding increase of
Nozzle pressure ratios(NPR) corresponding velocity decreases. Maximum forces and
Maximum velocity decrease with respect to Nozzle pressure ratios (NPR).
 6. REFERENCES
[1]. P. Parthiban, M. Robert Sagayadoss, T. Ambikapathi, Design And Analysis Of Rocket
Engine Nozzle by using CFD and Optimization of Nozzle parameters, International Journal of
Engineering Research, Vol.3., Issue.5., 2015 (Sept.-Oct.).

[2]. Bogdan-Alexandru Belega, Trung Duc Nguyen, Analysis of Flow in Convergent-

divergent rocket engine nozzle using Computational Fluid Dynamics, International Conference
Of Scientific Paper Afases 2015 Brasov, 28-30 May 2015.

[3]. Balaji Krushna.P, P. SrinivasaRao, B. Balakrishna , Analysis Of Dual Bell Rocket Nozzle
Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, IJRET: International Journal of Research in
Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308.

[4]. Dumonov, G., Ponomaryov, N.B. and Voinov, A.L.,(1997)``Dual-Bell Nozzles for Rocket
Engines of Launch Vehicle Upper Stages and Orbital Transfer Vehicles,’’ AIAA Paper 97-
3089, 33rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, USA, Luglio.

[5] IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-
ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 13, Issue 4 Ver. I (Jul. - Aug. 2016), PP 58-65