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RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

Theoretical Investigation of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine

Performance
Siva V*
* Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College,
Coimbatore-641 022.
Corresponding Author: Siva V

ABSTRACT
Liquid propellant rockets are economically more suitable for long range operations. For long range missiles
liquid propellant rocket is widely used because of its suitability and performance. But when we consider high
range rocket missiles, a liquid propellant rockets are not suitable, because of its size and weight is more
compared to solid propellant rocket. Many liquid propellants can exist in liquid state at very low temperature
itself. When more number of components present in engine panel, causing of vibration is very high and in the
case of liquid propellant rocket engine it is very difficult to provide cooling of thrust chamber. There is no
universal well-defined procedure or design method for making a design of liquid propellant rocket engine. Even
though we followed some common concepts while making a design of liquid propellant rocket engine, there also
some critical problems occur. In order to rectify such a problems we should take almost care on propellant
selection and propellant ingredients. In this paper we discuss in detail about complete analysis of liquid
propellant rocket engine by theoretical approach. The design and operational performance of a rocket engine is
purely depends on the combustion characteristics of a propellant, its burning rate, burning surface, nozzle exit
area ratio.
Keywords – liquid propellants, Propellant burning rate, Propellant burning surface, Thrust co-efficient, Nozzle
exit area ratio.

I. INTRODUCTION
Liquid propellant is a combination of liquid 1.1 Liquid Propellants
fuel (refined petrol, liquid oxygen, hydrazine) and Liquid propellant rocket engines generally
liquid oxidizer (red fuming nitric acid, white fuming uses liquid propellants, which are the working
nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide). Liquid fuel and substance of rocket engines, constitute the fluid that
liquid oxygen are stored separately in two different undergoes chemical and thermodynamic changes.
tanks and Preheater is necessary to heat the both the Generally liquid propellant rocket engine propellant
fuel and oxidizer. Liquid propellant rocket engines is classified into two categories. A liquid propellant
generally consists of one or more chambers, one which contains both the fuel and oxidizer in a single
more tanks to store the propellants, a feed chemical is known as “Monopropellant”. A
mechanism to force the propellants from the tanks Monopropellant contains an oxidizing agent and
into the thrust chamber, a power source to furnish combustible matter in a single substance.
the energy for the feed mechanism, suitable Nitroglycerine, Nitromethane, hydrazine are few of
plumbing or piping to transfer the liquids and control the commonly used Monopropellants.
devices to initiate and regulate the flow. The main If the fuel and oxidizer are different from each
disadvantage of liquid propellant rocket engine is its other in its chemical nature, then the propellant is
construction is more complicated compare to solid said to be “Bipropellants” A bipropellant rocket unit
propellant rocket. The operation of the liquid has two separate liquid propellants, an oxidizer and a
propellant rocket engine is purely depends on fuel. They are stored separately and are not mixed
combustion characteristics of a propellant, its outside the combustion chamber. Bipropellants have
burning rate, burning surface area and nozzle exit been widely used in liquid propellant rocket system.
area ratio.
The main objective of present work are: 1.2 Structural Design
a) To study the complete operational phenomena of The structural analysis begins when all loads
liquid propellant rocket engine can be identified and quantified. The kind of loads
b) To study the complete structural design of liquid and timing of these loads during a life of a liquid
propellant rocket engine along with its components. propellant rocket engine have to be analyzed for
c) To find the parameters, which are necessary to each application and every rocket. Although ignition
analyze a rocket with aid of theoretical approach. and accelerations usually cause high stress and

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Siva V Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Application www.ijera.com
ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue3, ( Part -2) march2018, pp.38-41

strains. The maximum stress and strains can be c) submerged nozzles: A significant portion of the
accepted by the propellant under various conditions. nozzle structure is submerged within the combustion
chamber or case.
1.3 Propellant Feed Mechanism d) extendible nozzle: the extended nozzle improves
Liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer need to be specific impulse by doubling or tripling the initial
supplied to the combustion chamber at specified expansion ratio, thereby significantly increasing the
flow rates from the storage tanks. For this, either nozzle thrust coefficient.
pumps are used or the liquid fuel and oxidizer in the
tanks are pressurized by a high pressure gas source 1.6 Cooling Methods
and forced into the combustion chamber. Two types The flow of high temperature gases around
of propellant feed system widely used in the liquid 3000K or higher in the thrust chamber. Most of the
propellant rocket engine. Gas pressure feed system structural materials either melt or do not retain their
and Turbo pump feed system. In case of gas pressure strength at these high temperature. The walls of the
feed system, Gas at ambient temperature, contained thrust chamber are cooled, by using any one of the
in a gas bottle at high pressure, is supplied to the fuel following methods. Film cooling, barrier cooling,
and oxidizer tanks through a pressure regulator to Radiation cooling, Regenerative cooling, Ablation
expel propellants from the tanks. In case of turbo cooling, Transpiration cooling.
pump feed system, Liquid hydrogen peroxide from
the tank is decomposed by a catalyst such as calcium II. INDENTATIONS AND EQUATIONS
or sodium permanganate. Due to this steam and The following formulas were used to find
oxygen are generated. This steam is used to drive the out the parameters, which are necessary to
turbine. investigate the entire process of the Liquid
propellant rocket engine.
1.4 Combustion The mixture ratio r is defined as the ratio of the
Combustion of a liquid propellant (fuel and oxidizer mass flow rate mo and the fuel mass flow
oxidizer mixture) in the combustion chamber rate mf or
requires the following basic processes. Injection, r = mo / mf (1)
Atomization, Mixing, Vaporization, Ignition, The thrust produced is given by
Chemical reaction between fuel and oxidizer. The F = mp*Cj + ( Pe – Pa) Ae (2)
propellants are injected into the combustion chamber If q is the heat supplied in the form of chemical
through fine orifices for proper atomization. Various energy per unit mass of propellant, we get
methods are followed to atomize and mix the fuel Q = Cp( T02 - T01 ) (3)
and oxidizer. The combustion starts with the arrival Specific impulse of a rocket engine is given by
of one of the propellants. In order to obtain a low Isp = Cj / g (4)
value of the oxidizer fuel ratio, the fuel jet is allowed Specific Propellant Consumption is given by
to enter the combustion chamber first. The SPC = WP / F (5)
combustion pressure and temperature depends on the Weight floe coefficient is given by
flow rate of the propellants, the combustion rate and Cw = Wp / Po A* (6)
the gas flow rate through the exhaust nozzle. Thrust coefficient is calculated through
The propellant flow rate through the injector CF = F / Po A* (7)
depends on the pressure drop across, when flow rate Characteristic velocity of a rocket is given
increases with the pressure drop. by C* = CJ / CF (8) h

1.5 Nozzle III. FIGURES AND TABLES

The supersonic nozzle provides for the
expansion and acceleration of the hot gases and has
to withstand the severe environment of high heat
transfer and erosion. The following type of nozzles
is widely used in liquid propellant rocket engine.
a) Fixed nozzles: fixed nozzles are generally not
submerged and do not provide thrust vector control.
b) movable nozzles: movable nozzles can provide
pitch and yaw control and two are needed for roll
control. Movable nozzles are typically submerged
and use a flexible sealed joint or bearing with two
actuators. Figure 1. Liquid Propellant Rocket engine with Gas
Pressure feed System.

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue3, ( Part -2) march2018, pp.38-41

decrease of speed regulation is possible in liquid

propellant rocket engine.
2. The Specific Impulse of a liquid propellant rocket
engine is very high compare to solid propellant
rocket engine. It is also found that the liquid
propellant rocket engine is best suitable for long
range operational applications.
3. The size and weight of the liquid propellant rocket
engine is more compared to solid propellant rocket
engine because of it having more number of moving
parts such as components which are required for
propellant feed mechanism, pumps, tanks, etc.. due
to more components present in the panel of liquid
propellant rocket engine causing of vibration is also
Figure 2. Liquid Propellant Rocket engine with more. This is the main disadvantage in the case of
Turbo pump feed System. liquid propellant rocket engine.

S.No Parameter Quantity

1 Exit Mach Number 2.57
2 Exit to Throat area ratio 3.557
3 Throat Pressure 1.155 MPa
4 Throat Temperature 2567 K
5 Throat Area 1.296 mm2
6 Mass Flow Rate of the 0.576 Kg/s
Propellant
7 Exit Area 4.611 mm2
8 Exit Pressure 1.0 bar
9 Exit Velocity 2241.95 m/s
10 Throat Diameter 0.04063 m
11 Exit Diameter 0.07664 m
Figure 3. Schematic of Liquid Propellant Rocket 12 Specific Impulse 230 Secs
Engine with Heat Exchanger. Table 2. Final Results.
To design a rocket nozzle for liquid propellant
rocket engine the following procedure can be carried 4.From the result of a present work, the Specific
out with help of following inputs as a example Impulse of a Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine is
S.No Parameter Quantity more. The function of the nozzle is to convert the
pressure energy of the gas into kinetic energy. After
1 Chamber Pressure 2.068 MPa
completing the operation of the engine high
2 Chamber Temperature 2861 K
temperature and high velocity gases are expand in
3 Molecular mass of the 21.87 Kg/Kmol
the nozzle section. During the nozzle operation the
Gas
temperature of the nozzle also increases. In this
4 Specific Heat Ratio 1.229 regard nozzle need to be cooled after operation. In
5 Weight Flow Rate 5.6521 N/s case of liquid propellant rocket engine we are
6 Thrust 1300 N providing some cooling methods to rectify the same
Table 1. Inputs for Calculation. problem.
From the above inputs, after making a theoretical Acknowledgement
calculation by using above listed standard formulas,
I express my heartfelt thanks to our
we have the following results.
esteemed Managing Trustee and Joint
IV. CONCLUSION Managing Trustee for their kind earnest attempt
From the above theoretical work we can to provide all the facilities and interest they
concluded the following aspects as a result of a showed in the welfare of faculty community.
present work. I articulate my sincere thanks to
1.When liquid propellant rocket engine is in motion Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar, Director, SNR Sons
condition, its combustion process is controllable, Charitable Trust, for providing the
which means it is easy to stop the combustion by encouragement and amenities to complete this
closing the fuel valve or oxidizer valve. Increase and work successfully.

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ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 8, Issue3, ( Part -2) march2018, pp.38-41

I thank our Principal Dr.N.R.Alamelu, [4]. Ganesan V, “ Gas Turbines” Tata McGraw-
for her benevolent patronage in all the way to Hill Publishing Company Limited, New
carry out this work successfully. Delhi, 2 Edition, 2003.
nd

[5]. Senthil S, “ Gas Dynamics and Jet

Propulsion” A.R.S Publications, Chennai, 6th
REFERENCES
Edition,2009.
[1]. Sutton G.P, “Rocket Propulsion Elements”
John Wiley & Sons Inc. New York, 5th
Edition, 1993. JOURNAL PAPERS
[2]. Hill, P.G & Peterson C.R, “Mechanics & [1]. Siva V, “Investigation of Solid Propellant
Thermodynamics of Propulsion” Addison - Rocket Engine – An Theoretical Approach”,
2nd Edition Wesley Longman INC, 1999. International Journal of Engineering
[3]. Mathur R. and Sharma R.P, “Gas turbines and Research and Applications, Volume 7, Issue
Jet and Rocket Propulsion” Standard 9, PP 73-75.
Publishers, New Delhi, 1988.

SivaV”Theoretical Investigation of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine

Performance"International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) , vol. 8,
no. 03, 2018, pp. 38-41

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