Rocket Dynamics Forces on the Rocket

Equation of Motion: ∑F = Ma
• Forces on the Rockets - Drag Need to minimize total mass M to
• Rocket Stability maximize acceleration of the rocket
FThrust
• Rocket Equation Center of Mass Forces at through the Center of Mass
• Specific Impulse
FGrav
• Rocket Motors (1) Gravity: FGrav = Mg
d
(2) Thrust: FThrust = (MV )
dt
The thrust force seen by the rocket is
equal to the rate of change of momentum
carried away in the exhaust

3rd Force: Drag

Thrust: Resistance from the air to the rocket motion
Assuming that the propellant speed is approximately constant then

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FThrust = M P C E D = V 2 AC D
2
Where CE is the speed of the exhaust
•  is the mass density of the air (1.2 kg/m3 @ sea level)
M P is the rate of change propellant mass
FThrust
Center of Mass
• V is the rocket speed
• A is the area of the rocket perpendicular to the rocket
FGrav
In other words, how fast you go is dependent on flow
Drag • CD is the coefficient of drag
• the speed of the propellant
• the mass available in propellant

There are three forms of drag, and their relative importance is

highly dependent on the speed on the rocket relative to the sound
speed, i.e. to the Mach number = V/Vs Vs~ 1050 ft/s or 331 m/s

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 Types of Drag (2) Pressure Drag or Form Drag

arises because of the form of the object.

1. Skin friction arises from the friction of the fluid against the The general size and shape of the body
"skin" of the object that is moving through it. Skin friction arises is the most important factor in form drag
from the interaction between the fluid and the skin of the body.
Bodies with a larger apparent cross-
section will have a higher drag than
thinner bodies.
Sleek designs, or designs that are
streamlined and change cross-sectional
area gradually are also critical for
achieving minimum form drag.

Rivets on skin surface add significantly

to total drag at supersonic speeds

Wave drag
(2) Pressure Drag or Form Drag • is caused by the formation of shock waves around the aircraft which
radiate away a considerable amount of energy producing enhanced
drag
Drag coefficients for different shapes.
• Although shock waves are typically associated with supersonic flow,
they can form at much lower speeds at areas on the aircraft where
local airflow accelerates to supersonic speeds.

•The effect is typically seen at transonic speeds above about Mach 0.8,
but it is possible to notice the problem at any speed over that of the
critical Mach of that aircraft's wing.

•The magnitude peaks at about four times the normal subsonic drag.
Elimination of vortices in the
wake reduce the drag •It is so powerful that it was thought for some time that engines would
not be able to provide enough power to easily overcome the effect,
which led to the concept of a "sound barrier".

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 Rocket Stability
• Small perturbations will kick the rocket out of alignment
• Active control of thrust vector could be used to correct
these perturbations
– Heavy and Expensive

• Passive control system through the use of fins

• Success depends on the relative position of the Center
of Pressure relative to the Center of Mass

If you can get the rocket higher in altitude before going to high speed, effects
from drag can be minimized

Resultant Resultant
Motion: Motion:
Air Unstable Air Stable

CP
CM
F
CM CP

F
Center of Mass has to be ABOVE Center of Pressure
for Stable Flight

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 Rocket Equation Percentage Payload to Orbit Using
Neglecting drag the equation of motion for the rocket is: (1) H2/O2 and (2) Rp (highly refined kerosene)/O2

dV dM
M  VE
dt dt
V2 Mf
dM
 dV  V 
V1
E
M0
M

M0 M0 V
V  VE ln( ) OR  exp( )
MF MF VE

Fraction of Payload becomes exponential small when required V

exceeds velocity of the propellant

Specific Impulse (Isp)

• is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines.

• It represents the impulse (change in momentum) per unit of
propellant.
• The higher the specific impulse, the less propellant is needed
to gain a given amount of momentum.

Isp 
 Fdt  V  m dt  V
E E

g  m dt g  m dt g

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 Specific impulse of various propulsion technologies M=1
Rocket nozzles
the hot gas produced in the combustion
chamber is permitted to escape from the
combustion chamber through an opening
Engine "Ve" exhaust Specific Energy per kg (the "throat"), within a high expansion-
velocity impulse of exhaust ratio 'de Laval nozzle'.
(m/s) (s) (MJ/kg)
Turbofan jet 2,900 3,000 ~0.05
engine Provided sufficient pressure is
Solid rocket 2,500 250 3 provided to the nozzle (about 2.5-
3x above ambient pressure) the
nozzle chokes and a supersonic
Bipropellant 4,400 450 9.7 jet is formed, dramatically
liquid rocket accelerating the gas, converting
most of the thermal energy into
Ion thruster 29,000 3,000 430 kinetic energy.

Type Description Advantages Disadvantages

Solid Ignitable, self sustaining Simple, often no Once lit, extinguishing it is difficult Solid Rocket Motors
rocket solid fuel/oxidiser mixture moving parts, although often possible, cannot be
("grain") with central hole reasonably good mass throttled in real time; handling issues
and nozzle fraction, reasonable Isp. from ignitable mixture, lower
A thrust schedule can performance than liquid rockets, if grain
be designed into the cracks it can block nozzle with
grain. disastrous results, cracks burn and
widen during burn.
Hybrid Separate oxidiser/fuel, Quite simple, solid fuel Some oxidisers are monopropellants, Single Grain Motor: Thrust
rocket typically oxidiser is liquid is essentially inert can explode in own right; mechanical increase with time due to
and kept in a tank, the without oxidiser, safer; failure of solid propellant can block
other solid with central cracks do not escalate, nozzle (very rare with rubberised
increased surface area as the
hole throttleable and easy to propellant), central hole widens over grain burns away.
switch off. burn and negatively affects mixture
ratio.
Monopro Propellant such as Simple in concept, catalysts can be easily contaminated,
pellant Hydrazine, Hydrogen throttleable, low monopropellants can detonate if
rocket Peroxide or Nitrous temperatures in contaminated or provoked, Isp is
Oxide, flows over catalyst combustion chamber perhaps 1/3 of best liquids
and exothermically
decomposes Use of Multiple grains
Liquid Two fluid (typically liquid) Up to ~99% efficient Pumps needed for high performance so that burning between
Bipropell propellants are combustion with are expensive to design, huge thermal grains leads to more
ant rocket introduced through excellent mixture fluxes across combustion chamber wall uniform burn
injectors into combustion control, throttleable, can impact reuse, failure modes include
chamber and burnt major explosions, a lot of plumbing is
needed.

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Solid Rocket Motors

Alternately, use 5-point Finocyl

form a more uniform burn