International Conference on Mechanical, Automobile and Biodiesel Engineering (ICMABE'2012) Oct.

6-7, 2012 Dubai (UAE)

Conceptual Studies on Nozzleless Propulsion

1

Jerin John 1, Vishal Ravikumar1, Sathyan Padmanabhan1, Kumaresh Selvakumar ,

Abhishesh Pal S 2, and V.R. Sanal Kumar 3
reliability on account of the system simplicity. Motivation of
this study emanates from the desire to make use of the new
concept on internal flow choking due to fluid throat effect
proposed by Sanal Kumar et al. [7], one of the co-authors of
this paper, for the initial thrust development of nozzleless
DTMs for advanced space propulsion.
The properties required for an ideal propellant for a
nozzleless configuration shows that:- (1) the burning rate of
the propellant must be higher in order to prevent a long
and inefficient tail off. (2) a superior strain capacity at low
temperature in order to allow optimum web fraction,
propellant loading and total performance is required and, (3) a
higher stress capacity at high temperature, so that the grain
structure can survive the shear loads produced by the large
axial pressure differential between the head end and aft-end of
a burning nozzleless grain, is also required. The aforesaid
requirements reported by the Indian industry shows that
the cost of development and propellant ingredient are
typically higher for nozzleless motor. However, it is reported
that in spite of these factors, a straight forward nozzleless
booster can be designed to yield comparable performance
at a price reduction of about 10 % and a performance gain of
up to 15 % if the propellant strength and burning-rate /
pressure exponent can be optimized [3].
Krishnan and Rajesh [5] presented experimental results for
four nozzleless motors of different length-diameter (L/d) ratios
using two different composite propellants. The experimental
observations discussed were: the premature unchoking in
motors of insufficient L/d ratios and the tendency for the
propellant to extinguish under highly negative pressure
gradient environment, both peculiar to nozzleless operation. A
simple one-dimensional numerical scheme was presented to
predict the performance of a nozzleless solid rocket motor.
Erosive burning, elastic grain deformation and L/D ratiodependent combustion efficiency were considered in the
scheme. A relatively simple procedure was followed to
account for the coupling effect between port gas dynamics and
elastic grain deformation. The experimental results were
compared with those predicted by the numerical scheme. The
predictions were in reasonable agreement with the
experimental values.
The burning rate index of a composite propellant can
significantly vary with respect to pressure. The application of
this fact plays a very important role in accurately predicting
the thrust-time trace of nozzleless motors. This merits demand
further investigation on internal flow chocking time observed
by Sanalkumar et al. [7-12], in DTMs.
In the conventional solid rocket motor, the propellant is
burnt inside a rocket chamber and the hot gases thus

AbstractNumerical studies have been carried out to

examine the intrinsic flow physics pertaining to fluid-throat
effect in a dual-thrust solid rocket motor for properly tailoring
its internal configuration for nozzleless propulsion. Detailed
parametric studies have been carried using a two-dimensional
k-omega turbulence model. The results from the parametric
study indicate that when the port is narrow there is a
possibility of increase in pressure rise rate due to relatively
high spread rate. Numerical studies also clarify that properly
designing the igniter will create enhanced burning at the
desired locations for creating a nozzle shape inside the grain
immediately after the fluid throat effect. We observed that
narrow port and long flow development ahead of the divergent
location of dual-thrust motors (DTMs) are likely to have flow
chocking and spread rate enhancement. We conjectured that
the accurate prediction of the transient unsteady internal flow
features is inevitable for the burning rate mapping of DTMs
for nozzleless propulsion.
KeywordsNozzleless propulsion, Solid Rocket, DTM
I. INTRODUCTION

HE concept of nozzleless rocket motors stems from the

possibility of obtaining the required booster configuration
in an integrated rocket-ramjet type of vehicle. The most
critical aspects of a nozzleless system are the choice of
propellant and geometric configuration supplemented with a
detailed understanding of burning rate mapping at lateral
velocities extending into supersonic flow regime. The
accurate theoretical modeling of such systems has not yet
come to a proven state, though there were several attempts by
the earlier researchers [1-6]. Earlier studies about the
properties of a propellant suitable for nozzleless configuration
have shown stringent demands on the burning rate
characteristics, mechanical strength and strain capacity.
Literature review reveals that nozzleless propulsion system, an
interesting concept was successfully demonstrated by AFRPL,
USA in 1979. It was expected that such a system will
reduce the cost of production in view of the elimination
of the nozzle assembly, the reduction of the case
insulation requirements etc., and also will improve the

1
Undergraduate Student, Aeronautical Engineering, Kumaraguru College of
Technology, Coimbatore641049, TamilNadu, India; jerinjohn17@gmail.com
2
Undergraduate Student, Mechatronics Engineering, University of
Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, India; abhishesh.pal6@gmail.com
3
Professor and Aerospace Scientist, Aeronautical Engineering, Kumaraguru
College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 049, Tamil Nadu, India;
Corresponding Author, Phone:+91-9388679565; vr_sanalkumar@yahoo.co.in

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International Conference on Mechanical, Automobile and Biodiesel Engineering (ICMABE'2012) Oct. 6-7, 2012 Dubai (UAE)

generated are accelerated to supersonic condition through

a convergent-divergent type nozzle. The heat energy of the
gases is converted into kinetic energy inside the nozzle.
Nozzleless propulsion system attempts to perform the main
task of the nozzle inside the grain port itself, thereby saving
the weight of the nozzle which can be replaced by
additional propellant.
The basic configuration of a proposed nozzleless system is
shown in Fig.1. On ignition of the propellant exposed

impact on the flow velocity, pressure, and temperature.

Compressible flows create a unique set of flow physics for
which one must be aware of the special input requirements
and appropriate solution techniques. Compressible flows can
be characterized by the value of the Mach number. As the
Mach number approaches 1.0, compressibility effects become
important. When the Mach number exceeds 1.0, the flow is
termed supersonic, and may contain shocks and expansion
which can impact flow pattern significantly. Compressible
flows are typically characterized the total pressure P o and total
temperature T o of the flow.
Note that in this model the choked flow condition will be
established at the point of minimum flow area. In the
subsequent area expansion the flow may either accelerate to a
supersonic flow in which the pressure will continue to drop, or
return to subsonic flow conditions, decelerating with a
pressure rise. If a supersonic flow is exposed to an imposed
pressure increase, a shock will occur, with a sudden pressure
and deceleration accomplished the shock. In this model the
compressible flows are described by the standard continuity
and momentum equations with the inclusion of the
compressible treatment of the density [7]. The energy equation
solved by the code will incorporate the coupling between the
flow velocity and the static temperature. The viscosity is
determined from the Sutherland formula.
All boundary conditions for wall-function meshes will
correspond to the wall function approach, but in the case of
fine meshes the appropriate low-Reynolds number boundary
conditions will be applied. At the solid walls a no-slip
boundary condition is imposed. A typical grid system in the
computational region is selected after the detailed grid
refinement exercises. An algebraic grid-generation technique
is employed to discretize the computational domain. The grids
are clustered near the solid walls using suitable stretching
functions. The motor geometric variables and material
properties are known a priori. Initial wall temperature, inlet
total pressure and temperature are specified. The CourantFriedrichs-Lewy number is initially chosen as 3.0 in all of the
computations. Ideal gas is selected as the working fluid. The
transient mass addition due to propellant burning is
deliberately suppressed in this model to examine the turbulent
separated flow features discretely in DTMs. The code has
successfully validated with the help of benchmark solutions.

Fig. 1 Shows the different phases of grain burning and the

formation of grain throat, after the fluid throat effect, due to the predesigned igniter heat flux mapping.

surface, gas will be generated in the tubular portion of the

grain (section BB) and further due to fluid throat effect area
fraction will be blocked at the section CC and hence the grain
geometry will act like a second igniter. Subsequently the flow
will get accelerated at divergent section AA due to the flow
choking at section CC. Further pre-designed igniter will
facilitate desirable initial heat flux mapping for creating a
sustainable grain throat evolution inside the motor till the
completion of burning. The gas is expected to reach sonic
condition at the changing interface of the cylindrical and the
conical section and further accelerate to supersonic condition
at the divergent section through out the burning. This type of
nozzleless propulsion system can avoid any type of nozzle
hardware and can increase the propellant loading and payload
capability.
II. NUMERICAL METHOD OF SOLUTION
Numerical simulations have been carried out with the help
of a two-dimensional standard k-omega model. This
turbulence model is an empirical model based on model
transport equations for the turbulence kinetic energy and a
specific dissipation rate. This code solves standard k-omega
turbulence equations with shear flow corrections using a
coupled second order implicit unsteady formulation. In the
numerical study, a fully implicit finite volume scheme of the
compressible, Reynolds-Averaged, Navier-Stokes equations is
employed. Compared to other models this model could well
predict the turbulence transition in duct flows and has been
validated through benchmark solutions. Therefore, this model
has been used for demonstrating the flow physics involved in
dual-thrust motors (DTMs).
Compressibility effects are encountered in gas flows at high
velocity and/or in which there are large pressure variations.
When the flow velocity approaches or exceeds the speed of
sound or when the pressure change in the system is large, the
variation of the gas density with pressure has a significant

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The flow features are examined in dual-thrust motors with
divergent port but without any nozzle geometry. We discerned
through our companion papers that, at the subsonic inflow
condition, there is a possibility of attaining choked flow
condition at the transition region of a dual-thrust motor with
divergent port [7]. Therefore we have selected a DTM with
narrow upstream port so as to get the flow choking due to the
boundary layer blockage. Figure 2 shows the theoretical
prediction of the burning surface evolution during the
nozzleless motor operation of an idealized DTM with
cylindrical radial burning grain. It can be seen from Fig. 3 that
the flow Mach number at the transition location is sonic
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International Conference on Mechanical, Automobile and Biodiesel Engineering (ICMABE'2012) Oct. 6-7, 2012 Dubai (UAE)

of a nozzleless dual-thrust solid rocket motor after choking at two

different time intervals. Note that after the internal flow

chocking and the subsequent, convergent-divergent (CD)

nozzle shaped, burning for nozzleless propulsion depends up
on the propellant properties and heat flux distribution along
the propellant surface.
It has been observed through the numerical studies that, at

Fig. 2 Shows the theoretical prediction of the burning surface

evolution during the nozzleless motor operation.

(a) L/d = 58.82

immediately after the igniter operation (imposing inflow

conditions) and said sonic condition is maintained throughout
the burning and there is no situation of unchoked flow
condition at the motor throat, which ensured supersonic jet
through out the motor operation at the exit for meeting the
mission objectives of the nozzleless propulsion. It indicates
that during the action time there is a driving force within
the motor for accelerating the flow up to the sonic
condition at the transition region. The flow acceleration at the
upstream narrow port can be explained with the help of
boundary layer theory. As stated in the companion papers,
owing to the viscous friction, boundary layer will be formed
on the walls (before the transition region) and their thickness
will increase in the downstream direction to the divergence
location. Since the volume of flow must be the same for every

(b) L/d = 10.89

Fig. 4 (a-b) Shows Mach contours of a nozzleless dual-thrust

solid rocket motor after choking at two different time intervals.

identical inflow conditions, the effect of mass addition is more

pronounced in narrower ports (as A p ~ d2 and A b ~ d and
hence U ~ L/d). The results from the parametric study
indicate that when the port is narrow there is a possibility of
increase in pressure rise rate due to relatively high spread rate.
Hence it appears that high pressure rise rate often observed at
the head-end of the practical port configurations correlates
with the flame spread rate, as a result of the propellant grain
configuration. Numerical studies also clarify that narrow port
and long flow development ahead of the divergent location are
likely to have flow chocking and spread rate enhancement. It
is also conjectured that the narrow port and the high heat flux
from the igniter jet at the head-end will enhance the burning
for creating a CD nozzle shape within the grain. Also note that
the multiple choking phenomena and the new turbulence level
will alter the location of the reattachment / secondary ignition
point and also enhance the heat flux to the propellant surface,
which in turn will enhance the flame spread rate and the
transient burning.
We concluded that after the internal flow choking, due to
the fluid throat effect in DTMs, the pre-designed igniter will
facilitate desirable initial heat flux mapping for creating a
sustainable grain throat inside the motor till the completion of
the web burning. In this paper due to convergence issue
continuous burning could not be simulated, however each time
step independent simulation has been carried out in dummy
motor, after analytically predicting the evolved burning
surface with the imposed burn rate law at each location, at
each time step. The gas is expected to reach sonic condition at
the changing interface of the cylindrical and the conical
section and further accelerate to supersonic condition at the
divergent section through out the burning. We observed that
during the burning sonic throat location of the motor was
shifting towards the head-end (see Fig.2). This type of

Fig. 3 Mach number variations along the axis of a nozzleless

dual-thrust solid rocket motor at different time intervals
showing the sustainable choking phenomena and further flow
acceleration to supersonic Mach number. Geometry (Initial
L/d = 58.82, L/D = 28.57) is shown in inset.

section, the decrease in rate of flow near the walls which is

due to friction must be compensated by a corresponding
increase near the axis. This study reveals that with the given
inflow conditions and the pre-designed port geometry, the
flow could accelerate to a higher Mach number (M > 1) at
the divergence region without any shock waves inside the
rocket motor. The internal flow choking phenomena reveals
that properly designing the divergent region of the DTM can
replace the nozzle hardware from the rocket motor for
nozzleless propulsion. Figure 4 is demonstrating the flow field
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International Conference on Mechanical, Automobile and Biodiesel Engineering (ICMABE'2012) Oct. 6-7, 2012 Dubai (UAE)

nozzleless propulsion system can avoid any type of nozzle

hardware and can increase the propellant loading density and
the payload capability. The difficulties associated with solving
compressible flows are a result of the high degree of coupling
between the flow velocity, density, pressure and energy. This
coupling may lead to instabilities in the solution process and,
therefore one may requires special solution techniques in order
to obtain a converged solution. This study leads to say that
lucrative motor design options for nozzleless propulsion can
be achieved through the accurate evaluation of the transient
unsteady internal flow features of the motor with burning rate
mapping.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank Shankar Vanavarayar of
Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, India for his
extensive support of this research work.
REFERENCES
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