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CFD Analysis of De Laval Nozzle of a Hybrid

Rocket Engine
Mohamed Tarmizi Ahmad1, ,Anudiipnath Jagannathan1, Amzari Zhahir2,*, Muhammad
Hanafi Azami3, Razali Abidin1Mohd Nor Hafizi Noordin1,Norzaima Nordin 1
1Facultyof Engineering, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kem Sungai Besi, 57000 Kuala
Lumpur,Malaysia.
2Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43000

UPMSerdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

3Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract: The study gives a general overview of the CFD-simulated gas

flow via the nozzle of a De Lavalrocket engine. In CFD software, the mesh
is generated using the nozzle's geometry. In this work, CFD methods are
used to compare a number of factors with those derived from classical
theory, such as pressure, velocity, temperature, and arear ratios. The results
of computational modelling of CFD simulation are comparable to those
found from theoretical calculations.
Keywords: C-D nozzle, Hybrid Rocket Engine, De Laval Nozzle,
Propellant, Propulsion, Modelling, Simulation.

1 Introduction
By expelling gases at high velocities and pressures through nozzle openings, rocket
engines produce thrust. Nearly all of the rocket engines among the internal combustion jet
propulsion devices are knownwith the lowest thermal efficiency, fastest speeds, and lightest
weight.
The combustion byproducts are directed via a supersonic propelling nozzle, which
transforms the high kinetic energy of the combustion into maximum outlet velocity and, in
accordance with Newton's law,causes the engine to move in the opposite direction as shown
in Figure 1.

Fig. 1. Hybrid Rocket engine

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Rocket Engine Nozzle

The nozzle is a mechanism used to regulate the hot gaseous flow outside the combustion
chamber. In rocket designs, the nozzle is designed to generate maximum thrust with
minimum losses. The design of the rocket's nozzle is a crucial phase. The ability of a rocket's
nozzle to convert thermal energy into kineticenergy greatly affects the rocket's performance.

2 literature review
The nozzle's job is to effectively convert combustion byproducts into kinetic energy. In
general, a pipe with a variable cross-sectional area is called a nozzle and can be used to
guide or modify fluid flow. De Laval discovered that the most efficient transition happened
when the nozzle initially constricted, increasing the gases' velocity to Mach 1 and then
causing them to expand even more [1,2]. Thenozzle inlet velocity is less than Mach one and
it accelerates to the speed of sound in the throat for choked flow and then accelerates along
the divergent portion to supersonic velocities.
Many studies employed CFD software to design and analyse CD nozzles [3-6]. Due to its
accuracy when compared to theory, CFD has recently been used in more investigations on
nozzle flow[7-15].
2.1 Objectives of CFD Analysis on Nozzle
This research is being conducted to assist the UPNM Faculty of Engineering's work on
generating environmentally friendly, renewable hybrid rocket fuel based on stearic acids, a
byproduct of palm oil.

Fig. 2. Flowchart of Solid Works Floe simulation for fluid flow analysis

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The objectives of the study are:

1. Using SOLIDWORK 2010, design and examine the CD nozzles' geometry.
2. Conduct CFD study of CD Nozzle of specific configurations.
3. Analyze exhaust gas flows using velocity, pressures and temperatures contours.
4. Examine similarities and differences between theoretical with CFD results.

In this paper, we use the CFD simulation called SOLIDWORKS 2010 program to build and
evaluate the geometry of the CD nozzles based on the schematic nozzle model shown in
Figure 2. SOLIDWORKS Flow is a simulation tool integrated with SOLIDWORKS 3D
CADD for general purpose fluid flow and heat transfer. This CFD solution can represent
both low-speed and supersonic flows.
First, the velocity, temperature, and pressure for various nozzle sections were theoretically
computed using the equations that had been developed. Second, the computer simulation
approach was validatedusing the theoretical results.

3 Theoretical equations for nozzle geometry

Laval nozzle equations
The main function rocket nozzle is to maximize the speed of the combustion gases
produced by the fuel in order to produce the highest thrust. The mass flow rate and engine
output pressure both affect how much thrust the engine can generate. The significance of
these three variable flows depends on how the rocket nozzle is designed. The following
equations are intended for the nozzles' adiabatic, reversible, isentropic, and one-
dimensional flow.
However, under real-world conditions, multidimensional currents and viscous effects, such
as the wall boundary layer and the separation of flow, significantly alter the nozzle flow, as
discussed by a number of researchers. The overall thrust and a specific impulse for a rocket
propulsion system that typically travels in a homogenous environment are determined by
Equations 1 and 2.

Typically, the output pressure of the rocket nozzle is designed to be equal to or slightly
higher than the surrounding pressure. Since the pressure thrust is influenced by changes in
atmospheric pressure, the rocket's thrust changes in height. For the rocket nozzle
configuration, the following equations are applied. Additionally, the Mach number
[Equation 3] may be used to calculate the local area to throat area ratio as follows:

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Increasing the chamber's temperature will increase the rocket's efficiency.

Less pronounced is the effect of pressure ratio and basic heat dissipation.
The coefficient of nozzle expansion is also an important parameter of nozzle
design:

The speed of the throat or flow in the nozzle cannot be increased by further reducing the
output pressure if the speed of sound in the throat is reached (throttling of the
flow).Choking is a compressible flow effect that when the flow becomes supersonic and the
disturbances cannot move upstream, inhibits the flow and reduces the liquid's speed. When
the subsonic flow in the gas stream reaches M = 1, choking occurs.
Where 𝐶∗ (critical flow function) is given by 𝐶∗

4 Computer simulation
The computer modelling of the CFD nozzle is an engineering tool that helps to reduce
experimental tests. In the CFD nozzle, the following steps were carried out (Figure 3):
modelling, mesh, pre- processing, solution, post-processing. SOLIDWORKS 2010 was
used to simulate a 2-dimensional nozzle,and the file was saved in the slddrt format.

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Fig. 3. Schematic diagram of nozzle.

In the nozzle CFD analysis, the following steps were performed:

• Modelling
• Meshing
• Pre-Processing
• Solution
• Post-Processing

Boundary Conditions
The boundary conditions are;
• Inlet pressure =1,000,000Pa
• Inlet temperature= 2200K
• Inlet Mass flow rate=0.18kg/s
• Atmospheric Pressure=101,325Pa
Modelling
SOLIDWORKS 2010 was used to simulate a 2-dimensional nozzle, and the file was saved
in the siddrt format. The dimensions of the Laval nozzle are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. De Laval nozzle Dimensions

Total Length (mm) 100
Combustion chamberlength (mm) 45
Throat Diameter (mm) 10
Diameter of exit (mm) 30
Length of Chamber(mm) 20
Convergent angle(deg) 46.34°
Divergent Angle (deg) 14.67°
Combustion ChamberThickness (mm) 2
Combustion ChamberDiameter(mm) 40
Material for Combustion Chamber AISI 302 cold rolledstainless steel
Material for Nozzleinsert: AISI 1018 low-carbon rolled steeland graphite

Meshing
The grid was created by SOLIDWORKS 2010 software after modelling the nozzle. A
grid of trigonal elements near the nozzle wall with an element size of 1 mm, with five
prisms. To capture the thinner border layers, levels with a height of 0.2 to 0.8 mm were
produced. The nozzle meshing is as shown in Figure 4 ,5 & 6.

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Fig. 4. meshing of Nozzle

Fig. 5. Contours of Static Pressure (pascal)

Fig. 6. Static Pressure along nozzle axis

Pre-Processing
In SOLIDWORKS 2010, pre-processing of the nozzle was carried out. When reading the
grid, 2-D and two accuracy settings were used. The grid has been resized because all
dimensions were originally stated in millimeters. The network has been checked
continuously and no critical errors have been found.

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Solution
The Criteria for Convergence is shown in Table 2. After 109 iterations, the solution was
transformed. Andthe scaling order of the balances was lower.

Table 2. Criteria for convergence

Solution Courant Number 5 RESIDUALS ABSOLUTE
Controls CRITERIA
Solution Computefrom: Inlet Continuity 0.001
Initialization
X-Velocity 0.001
Y-Velocity 0.001
Run Number of Iterations 2000 Energy 0.001
Calculation K 0.001
Epsilon 0.001

Post-Processing
The contours and plots are chosen in representing the data as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7
for post-processing, is summarized in Table 3.
Table 3 Summary of Post-Processing
Graphics &Animations Contour option is used to plot velocity magnitude,
pressure,temperature, and intensity.

Plots Use XY plots to get static pressure vs position, Velocity

vsvelocity magnitude.

5 Results and Discussions

Pressure of the nozzle:
Maximum pressure at the inlet and before the exit begins to decrease. 186 00 Pa is the
static output pressure. A sudden drop in pressure brought on by the shock wave soon after
the throat portion.
Figures 5 illustrate how the shock wave that follows the segment of the nozzle causes a
suddendrop in pressure.
Temperature of the nozzle:
The temperature contour and temperature graph along the nozzle axis are shown in Figures
7 and 8. The mean temperature at the entrance and before the exit begins to fall. The outlet
temperature has avalue of 1174.51 K.

Velocity of the nozzle:

At the entry,the velocity is minimal and increases before the nozzle exit. The velocity in the
nozzle throat is Mach 1. A chocked flow state is what this condition is known as. The
nozzle outlet speed is 2043.53 m / s, or around 3.03 M.

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Fig. 7. contours of static temperature.

Fig. 8. Static temperature along nozzle axis.

Comparison of temperature, velocity, and pressure with theoretical results

Table 4 provides the Temperature, Velocity and Pressure comparison with theoretical
results. Figures 9, 10 and 11 provide the profile of Area Ratios against Temperature,
Velocity and Pressure of CFD against theoretical calculations.

Fig. 9. contours of velocity (m/s)

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Fig. 10. Velocity along Nozzle Axis

Table 4. Temperature, Velocity, Pressure comparison with theoretical results

Temperature (K) Velocity(m/s) Pressure(Pa)
Section Ae/At Theoretical CFD Theoretical CFD Theoretical CFD
Convergent 1.4 2401.21 2201.12 980.8 912.9 1000000 1038304
Convergent 1.25 2107.13 2050.19 1210.01 1289.21 828393 836505
Throat 0.9 1801.11 1705.77 1312.99 1476.45 601923 514803
Divergent 1.25 1318.91 1500.99 1790.12 1708.78 184940 203087
Divergent 3.5 1200.78 1277.9 2010.67 1989.12 102594 81 034
Outlet 5.89 1022.1 1174.51 2102.44 2043.53 10234 18600

Fig. 11. Graph Area Ratio & Velocity.

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5 Conclusion
CFD is used to generate computer-aided solutions. It determines maximum velocity,
maximum pressure, and mass flow rates. The fluctuation in static pressure increases with
Mach number.
Specifically, the Mach number SOLIDWORKS 2010 is used to model and analyses
divergent andconvergent nozzle.
SOLIDWORKS 2010 instructions are used to model a single nozzle, which is then
examined under variousconditions at 1000,000 Pa of pressure and 2200K of temperature.
Velocities, Temperatures and Pressure of nozzle at the stipulated Temperatures and in the
results table,pressure are tabulated.
Therefore, differences in velocities of convergent and divergent nozzles at particular
specified pressuresare examined in this project.
The outcomes of computer modelling of CFD simulation are nearly equal to the outcomes
of theoretical analysis.

Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank Brig Gen Prof. Ir. Dr. Norazman Bin Mohamad Nor (Retired)
of the National Defence University of Malaysia and his working group; Universiti Putra
Malaysia and Tan Sri Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim Endowment Fund (Geran Penyelidikan
Industri (Endowmen Tan Sri Syed Azman) No. 2/2020 [Aerodynamic Performance of Two
Seater DragonFly Hoverwing]) for funding and support of our research.

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