FEASIBILITY OF OPTIMIZING NOZZLE PERFORMANCE FOR ORBITAL-LAUNCH NUCLEAR ROCKETS

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4740630

Jack, J R

Conclusions were drawn concerning optimum values of nozzle area ratio and operating pressure and operating conditions for favorable nozzle heat transfer. In general, the nozzle efficiency increases with both increasing divergence angle and increasing stagnation pressure level. For a given set of conditions, however, the nozzle eificiency increases with increasing area ratio only until the gains in performance due to additional expansion are offset by the increase in convective heat transfer. The variation of specific impulse with pressure is maximized at a pressure level that depends upon the pressure at which the flow freezes. On the basis of heat transfer, operation on the low-pressure side of the optimum point is desirable because a substantial reduction in the throat heat flux is thereby permitted. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lewis Research Center, Cleveland
• NSA Number: NSA-17-017606
• OSTI ID: 4740630
• Report Number(s): NASA-TN-D-1578
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

COMBUSTION
EXPANSION
HEAT TRANSFER
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NOZZLES
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PRESSURE
RE-ENTRY
SAFETY
SPACE APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
VELOCITY
VESSELS