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
`

  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

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