Flow path analysis of a Prandtl-Meyer all-external expansion aerospike nozzle
by Cudnick, Jason Paul, M.S., CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO, 2008, 41 pages; 1460342

Abstract:

In March of 2004, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) conducted flight research on an aerospike rocket in conjunction with the Air Force Flight Test Center, Blacksky Corporation, and Cesaroni Aerospace. Two aerospike rockets and one conventional rocket were successfully fired in both ground and flight tests. The results of these tests showed lower than expected thrust for the aerospike nozzle equipped motors, attributed to a deficiency in chamber pressure. This study examines the deficient chamber pressure as a direct result of a change in effective throat area for the aerospike nozzles motors, where such a change was hypothesized to be the result of an off nominal flow path or change in physical dimensions of the nozzle. The VULCAN CFD code was used to computationally investigate the flow through the nozzle throat.

 
AdviserWalter Loscutoff
SchoolCALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
SourceMAI/ 47-03, p. , Jan 2009
Source TypeThesis
SubjectsMechanical engineering
Publication Number1460342
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1460342
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.