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    Plug Nozzles

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    Sudheer Lanka
    The document discusses plug nozzles, also known as aerospike or external expanding nozzles. It describes two types - toroidal and linear aerospikes. The key advantages are altitude compensation through external expansion and the ability to truncate the nozzle in space environments with minimal performance loss. However, aerospikes also have limitations like thermal management challenges, low thrust-to-weight ratio, and complex systems compared to conventional bell nozzles. Notable examples discussed include issues cooling the J-2T engine and use of a linear aerospike on the canceled X-33 space plane project.

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    Plug Nozzles

    Uploaded by

    Sudheer Lanka
    58 views11 pages
    The document discusses plug nozzles, also known as aerospike or external expanding nozzles. It describes two types - toroidal and linear aerospikes. The key advantages are altitude compensation through external expansion and the ability to truncate the nozzle in space environments with minimal performance loss. However, aerospikes also have limitations like thermal management challenges, low thrust-to-weight ratio, and complex systems compared to conventional bell nozzles. Notable examples discussed include issues cooling the J-2T engine and use of a linear aerospike on the canceled X-33 space plane project.

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    The document discusses plug nozzles, also known as aerospike or external expanding nozzles. It describes two types - toroidal and linear aerospikes. The key advantages are altitude compensation through external expansion and the ability to truncate the nozzle in space environments with minimal performance loss. However, aerospikes also have limitations like thermal management challenges, low thrust-to-weight ratio, and complex systems compared to conventional bell nozzles. Notable examples discussed include issues cooling the J-2T engine and use of a linear aerospike on the canceled X-33 space plane project.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    58 views11 pages

    Plug Nozzles

    Uploaded by

    Sudheer Lanka
    The document discusses plug nozzles, also known as aerospike or external expanding nozzles. It describes two types - toroidal and linear aerospikes. The key advantages are altitude compensation through external expansion and the ability to truncate the nozzle in space environments with minimal performance loss. However, aerospikes also have limitations like thermal management challenges, low thrust-to-weight ratio, and complex systems compared to conventional bell nozzles. Notable examples discussed include issues cooling the J-2T engine and use of a linear aerospike on the canceled X-33 space plane project.

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    You are on page 1of 11

    PLUG NOZZLES

    INTRODUCTION

    • Also known as Aerospike or external


    expanding nozzle

    • Based on Prandtl-Meyer corner


    expansion theory

    • Expansion of a supersonic stream around


    a corner continues until the static
    pressure of stream reaches the ambient
    pressure
    Types of Aerospikes

    • Toroidal aerospike • Linear aerospike


    ADVANTAGES

    • Altitude Compensation : External expansion allows an increase in effective area


    ratio
    SPACE VEHICLES

    • In vacuum environments, resulting


    exhaust is a fully developed flow

    • Allows the truncation of plug to about


    20 % of its isentropic length with
    minimum performance loss

    • Helps to avoid long interstage


    structures, large nozzle extensions
    LIMITATIONS

    • Thermal management problems which are better solved in a linear aerospike

    • Low Thrust to weight ratio

    • Thrust Vector control is difficult. High component reliability is required. No test


    flight data.

    • Complex system due to a greater number of components compared to


    conventional bell nozzle

    • Aerospike engine performance is nearly equivalent to bell nozzles. Hence, more


    innovation is required to reduce the complexity of system to use aerospikes.
    SOME NOTABLE EXAMPLES

    • Thermal management problem in Rocketdyne J-2T


    It is 15 times harder to cool the J-2T engine when compared to J-2
    COMPARISON WITH OTHER NOZZLES
    X-33, VentureStar Reusable Launch Vehicle

    • NASA project developed by Lockheed-


    Martin aerospace

    • A SSTO vehicle designed for use as


    space-shuttle

    • Uses linear aerospike engine for


    propulsion to the orbit

    • Program shutdown due to technical


    difficulties in composite fuel tanks
    New age Aerospike Models
    • 3D printed aerospike engine developed by AMAERO
    • Provides better cooling channel designs for a toroidal aerospike
    THANK YOU

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