Advanced Propulsion Systems
By
V. Jagadish Babu
(ME/SER/1016/09)
Introduction
Propulsion
act of changing the motion of body
Jet propulsion
reaction force is imparted to a device
by a momentum of ejected matter
Rocket propulsion
Duct propulsion
Various Propulsion Devices
Chemical propulsion
Electric propulsion
Nuclear propulsion
Solar propulsion
Laser propulsion
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Chemical Propulsion
S o lid p ro p e lla n t ro ck e t m o to r
Liquid propellant rocket engine
Hybrid propellant rocket engines
Cryogenic engines
Performance Parameters
Total impulse: It = ∫Fdt
Specific impulse: Is = It / mp g
Effective exhaust velocity: c = Is g
Mass ratio: MR = mf / mo
Propellant mass fraction ζ : ζ = mp / mo
Impulse to weight ratio : It / wo = It /(mp + mf )g
Thrust to weight ratio : F/wo
Thrust : F = mc + (p2 – p3 )A2
Characteristic velocity: c* = P1 At / m
Solid Propellant Rocket Engine
Rocket motor that uses the
solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer).
Specific impulse of 265 sec.
It simple design, ready to operate.
No leak, spill, slosh.
Stored for 5 to 25 yrs.
Applications
Large booster and second stage motors.
Tactical missiles(anti tank missiles ,ASM
,SSM AAM ).
Ballistic missiles
Gas generators
Advanced research
Environmentally sensitive fuel formulations
such as Alice propellant.
Ramjet with solid fuel.
Variable thrust design with variable nozzle
geometry.
Hybrid rockets that use solid fuel and
throttle able liquid or gaseous oxidizer
Liquid Rocket Engine
Engine that uses propellant in liquid
form.
High density(low volume).
Needs pump system(pressurization).
Higher specific impulse up to 380 sec.
Can be randomly throttled, stopped and
restarted.
Can have leaking, slosh, spilling(can be
hazardous).
High thrust to weight ratio.
Combustion instabilities ,Minimum reliability.
Applications
Anti aircraft rockets
Upper stage launch vehicle
Large missiles
Space crafts
satellites.
Top stage of anti-ballistic missiles.
H y b rid P ro p e lla n t E n g in e
Hybrid Propellant Engine
Engine which uses two different types of propellants-one
solid and other liquid
Specific impulse is around 400 sec more than
liquid and solid propellant engines.
Safe and non toxic oxidizers such as liquid
oxygen and nitrous oxide can be used.
More controllable-start/stop/restart and
throttling.
Needs feed system (pressurization).
Low regression rate
Cryogenic Rocket Engine
At atmospheric conditions, LOX and low molecular
weight hydrocarbons are in gaseous state and to get
required mass flow rate, the only option is to feed the
engine in liquid form.(below boiling point).
Specific impulse is more that 450 sec.
LOX and LH2 are used as cryogenic
propellants.
Electric Propulsion
electrically powering the propellant to high speed
.
Types
electro static, electro thermal, electro magnetic
Resistojet Rocket
1.Specific impulse 200-350 sec
2.Uses lot of power and low thrust..
Arc jet Rocket
1.1600 sec specific impusle.
2.Very low thrust and high power.
Pulse Plasma Thruster
1.High specific can pulsed on and off for
attitude control.
2.Low energetic efficiency.
VASMIR
1.Variable specific impulse,1000 to 10000
sec.
2.Nuclear reactors are required.
Applications
Overcoming translational and rotational
perturbations in satellite orbits(for
GEO,LEO,MEO.
Interplanetary travel and deep space
probes.
Flight velocity adjustments, flight path
correction.
De orbit , deep space, sun escape.
Tactical missiles.
Nuclear fission reactors are devices used to
convert a nuclear fuel mass into energy E
according to
E = mc ^2,where c is the speed of light.
Radioisotope rocket/poodle thruster
Heat from radioactive decay is used
to heat hydrogen.
1.700 to 800 sec
2.Low thrust/weight ratio.
Nuclear thermal rocket
Nuclear reactor is used
to heat the hydrogen to very high temperature.
1.Specific impulse is about 900 or more.
2.Low thrust.
3.
Gas core reactor rocket
Nuclear reaction using a gaseous state
fission reactor in intimate contact with
propellant.
1.1500 to 3000 sec.
2.Very high thrust.
3.
Fission fragment rocket
Fission products are directly exhausted
to give thrust.
Fission sail
A sail material is coated with fissionable
materials one side.
Nuclear salt water rocket:
Nuclear salt are held in solution caused to
react at nozzle.
1.Very high specific impulse. very high thrust.
2.Thermal issue in nozzle.
Nuclear Pulse Propulsion
Nuclear bombs are detonate behind
vehicle and blast caught by a ‘pusher plate’.
1.Very high impulse.
2.Very high thrust
s - co n d u ct n u cle a r fissio n re a ctio n s T h e e n e rg y is u se d to h e a t th e liq
F issio n - fra g m e n t p ro p u lsio n co n ce p t
a fissio n a b le fila m e n ts , b re v o lv in g d isk s ,
c re a cto r co re , d fra g m e n ts e x h a u st
Laser Propulsion
The laser propulsion system may
transfer momentum to a spacecraft in two
different ways.
1.Photon radiation pressure drives the momentum
transfer
2.Using external devices.
3.Ablative laser propulsion
4.Pulse plasma propulsion.
5.CW plasma propulsion.
6.Ram laser propulsion.
7.Micro propulsion.
§
A cce le ra tio n
La se r tu b e
beam
p ro je ctile
La se r
B re a k
dow n
R a m la se r p ro p u lsio n
la se r
p ro p e lla n t
L a se r m icro
p ro p u lsio n
THANK YOU
