Flow Through Nozzle

27.1.
Isentropic flow through varying area duct
Lets consider the varying area duct as shown in Fig. 27.1. Areas at different stations are
mentioned in the same figure. The minimum cross-sectional area of this duct is called as throat if
local Mach number of the same cross-section is 1. We can find out the area of throat under this
constraint for known inlet or outlet area of the duct. We know that mass flow rate at the throat is,
Fig. 27.1 Flow through convergent divergent duct.
Where, are geometric and flow properties at the throat.

For the steady flow, mass flow rate at any cross-section having geometric and flow properties as
will be equal to the mass flow rate of the throat. Hence,
But we know that

Hence the area relation can be written as,
---------------------(27.1)
Hence, If we know Mach number M at any cross section and corresponding area A then we can
calculate the area of the throat for the duct. From this expression it is also clear that the Mach
number at any cross-section upstream or downstream of the throat is not dependant on the nature
of variation of cross-sectional area of the duct in the streamwise direction.
27.2. Nozzle flow.
Consider the convergent divergent duct shown in Fig. 27.1. Left end of the duct corresponds to
the stagnation or total conditions due to its connection to the reservoir while right
end of the duct is open to the atmosphric pressure . If initially exit pressure ( ) is same as the
reservior pressure then there will not be any flow through the duct. If we decrease the exit
pressure by small amount then flow takes place through the duct. Here convergent portion acts as
nozzle where pressure decreases and Mach number increases in the streamwise direction while
divergent portion acts as diffuser which leads to increase in pressure and Mach number along the
length of the nozzle. Variation of pressure and Mach number for this condition is shown in Fig.
27.2a and Fig. 27.2b respectively by tag 1.
Fig. 27.2a: Mach number variation along the length of the duct for various exit pressure
conditions
Fig. 27.2a: Pressure variation along the length of the duct for various exit pressure conditions
Further decrease in pressure at the exit of the duct shifts the pressure and Mach number curves as
shown in Fig. 27.2 tagged by 2. Mass flow continues to increase with decreasing the exit
pressure from conditions from 1 to 2. Condition 3 in this figure represents first critical condition
or a particular value of exit pressure at which Mach number at the minimum cross-section of the
duct becomes 1 or sonic. From Fig. 27.2a it is clear that convergent portion continues to act as
nozzle while divergent portion acts as diffuser. Pressure at the throat where Mach number has
reached 1 attains the reference star value which is equal to 0.528 times the reservoir pressure for
insetropic air flow. Further decrease in exit pressure pressure beyond the first critical pressure
(corresponding to situation 3), does not change the role of convergent portion as the nozzle. The
pressure and Mach number in the convergent portion also remain unchanged with further
decrease in exit pressure. Once the sonic state is achieved at the minimum cross section, mass
flow rate through the duct attains saturation. Hence duct or the nozzle is said to be choked for
any pressure value lower than the first critcal condition. Typical mass flow rate variation for air
flow with change in exit pressure is shown in Fig. 27.3.
Fig. 27.3. Variation of mass flow rate for air with change in exit pressure
Variation of pressure and Mach number for a typical exit pressure just below first critical
conditions is shown in Fig. 27.4 a and b respectvely. As discussed earlier, for this situation also
pressure decreases and Mach number increases in the convergent portion of the duct. Thus Mach
number attains value 1 at the end of convergent section or at the throat. Fluid continues to
expand in the initial part of the divergent portion which corresponds to decrease in pressure and
increase in Mach number in the supersonic regime in that part of the duct. However, if fluid
continues to expand in the rest part of the duct then pressure of the fluid is exected to reach a
value at the exit which is much lower than the exit pressure (as shown by isentropic expansion in
Fig. 27.4 a and b). Therefore, a normal shock gets created after initial expansion in the divergent
portion to increase the pressure and decerease the Mach number to subsonic value (Fig. 27.5).
Hence rest of the portion of divergent duct acts as diffuser to increase the pressure in the
direction of flow to reach the exit pressure value smoothly.
Fig 27.4a. Pressure variation along the length of the nozzle.
Fig 27.4a. Mach number variation along the length of the nozzle.
Fig 27.5. Presence of normal shock in the nozzle flow.
For the further decrease in exit pressure for the same reservoir condition, the portion of divergent
part acting as nozzle , intern the normal shock moves towards exit of the duct. For a perticular
value of exit pressure normal shock stands at the exit of the convergent divergent duct. Decrease
in the exit pressure beyond this condition provides oblique shock pattern originating from the
edge of the duct to rise pressure in order to attain the exit pressure conditions. Corresponding
condition is shown in Fig. 27.6.
Fig 27.6. Oblique shock pattern for over expanded condition.

For this exit pressure condition, the flow inside the duct is isentropic. However fluid attains the
pressure at the exit of the duct which is lower than the exit pressure, hence it has to pass through
the oblique shock and attain the pressure as that of exit pressure by the non-isentropic process.
Hence such condition of the duct is called as 'over expanded nozzle' and it is shown in Fig. 27.6.
Decrease in exit pressure beyond this over expanded condition, decreases the strength of oblique
shock and hence the amount of pressure rise. Hence at a particular value of exit pressure fluid
pressure at the exit of the duct becomes exactly equal to the exit pressure and flow becomes
completely isentropic for the dcut. In this condition both convergent and divergent portions of
the duct act as nozzle to expand the flow smoothly, hence duct is called as convergent divergent
nozzle. Expansion of the flow in the convergent divernt nozzle is mentioned as 'isentropic
expansion' in Figs 27.4 a and b. Further decrease in exit pressure beyond the isentropic
condition corresponds to more fluid pressure at the exit in comparison with the ambient pressure.
Hence expansion fan gets originated from the edge of the nozzle to decrease the pressure
smoothly to reach the ambient condition isentropically. Nozzle flow for such a situation is
termed as 'underexpanded nozzle flow'. Corresponding flow pattern is shown in Fig. 27.7.
Fig 27.7. Expansion fan pattern for under expanded condition.
7.3.Chocked mass flow rate of the nozzle
We have already seen in Fig. 27.3 that mass flow rate of the nozzle remains unaltered after flow
gets chocked. This chocked mass flow rate can be calculated as,
But we know that,

Hence
However,
Hence
.............................(27.2)
From this expression it is clear that for a convergent divergent nozzle, for given throat area,
choked mass flow rate remains constant for the fixed reservoir (P0 and T0) conditions. Therefore
choked mass flow rate can be increased by increasing the reservoir pressure P0 or decreasing
reservoir temperature T0.

Flow Through Nozzle

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27.1.

Isentropic flow through varying area duct

Fig. 27.1 Flow through convergent divergent duct.

Where, are geometric and flow properties at the throat.

will be equal to the mass flow rate of the throat. Hence,

But we know that

27.2. Nozzle flow.

Fig 27.6. Oblique shock pattern for over expanded condition.

Fig 27.7. Expansion fan pattern for under expanded condition.

7.3.Chocked mass flow rate of the nozzle

But we know that,

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