CFD Modelling of Supersonic Airflow Generated by

2D Nozzle
Paper by: SKANDA HEBBAR H S (4NI15ME156) and VINOD (4NI15ME184).

Introduction:
A nozzle is a device which is used to give the direction to the gases coming out of the
combustion chamber. Nozzle is a tube which has a capacity to convert the thermo-chemical
energy generated in the combustion chamber into kinetic energy. The nozzle converts the low
velocity, high pressure, high temperature gas in the combustion chamber into high velocity gas
of lower pressure and low temperature. A convergent divergent nozzle is used if the nozzle
pressure ratio is high. High performance engines in supersonic aircrafts generally incorporate
some form of a convergent-divergent nozzle. Our analysis is carried using software’s like
Ansys Workbench for designing of the nozzle and Fluent 15.0 for analysing the flows in the
nozzle. In the present days there is a huge development in Aerospace Engineering for in various
prospects. Extensive research is being carried out in the fields like civil and defence prospects.
The virtualization is one of the major developments in the field of research, which has
revolutionized Aerospace engineering, along with all other branches. The computational
techniques are being used widely for getting better results, which are close to experimental
techniques. The flow through a convergent-divergent nozzle is one of the benchmark problems
used for modelling the compressible flow through computational fluid dynamics. In this paper
CFD analysis of a convergent divergent rocket nozzle is done by varying the number of
divisions in Mesh and obtaining results for various parameters like pressure, temperature,
properties, wall fluxes, Mesh, velocity and adaption.

AIM:
The aim of the paper is to find the exit velocity and the amount of pressure at the exit
of the nozzle of a rocket by the initial parameters from the paper given below and also to check
the velocity pattern at the exit if an obstacle is present and thus to find the nature of deviation
of the velocity.
Analysis and Result:
The nozzle used for the analysis is as shown below. The Initial conditions assumed are,

1. Pressure in vacuum tank for all tests was of the order of 5 mbar, while inlet values
slightly varied depending on ambient conditions.
2. Atmospheric pressure 1018.313 mbar
3. Atmospheric temperature 286.75 K.
4. Reference Mach number 0.086, achieved in test installation in front of the nozzle,
5. Total pressure in wind tunnel test section 1010.542 mbar

The Dimensions of the model taken,

This Model is replicated in solid works and then is imported to Ansys and further
Modifications are done to set the need of the meshing. The model looks as,
This model is then taken into Ansys Meshing into order to subdivide the entire model into
multiple node and elements. The meshing is as shown.

There are 15623 elements in the given 2D model. The Aspect ratio and Jacobean quality is
found to be near 1 and skeeweness is near zero. The elements used are quadratic elements, thus
the result is almost accurate. The number of iterations carried out are 4500 giving higher
accuracy.

The conditions and the parameters considered are,

Calculation of flow characteristics inside the adopted control volume were performed using
RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Naiver-Stokes) equations with k-omega SST (Shear-Stress
Transport) turbulent model [11], [12], [13].

 Solver: 2D density-based.
 Model: viscous, SST k-omega with compressibility effects.
 Fluid: air, ideal gas, viscosity by Sutherland law, three coefficient methods.
 Boundary conditions: control volume inlet and outlet parameters as defined in [1], for
given test case.
 Calculation: flow type – supersonic, FMG - the Full Multi-Grid solution initialization
at 4 levels [13], [14], initial optimum reordering of the mesh domain using Reverse Cut
hill-McKee method [14], active solution steering, applying automatic optimization of
Courant number for the achieved solution convergence stage, etc.

Thus, the result obtained are as follows,

 Fig 3: shows the distribution of the velocity pattern along the Rocket Nozzle

Fig 4: shows the distribution of the Pressure pattern along the Rocket Nozzle

It can be seen that the Pressure is high at the inlet and velocity of exit is greater at the exit.
The validation of the result is carried out in the next chapter.

Validation:
This experiment is carried out trying to replicate the paper shown below. The Initial
Conditions taken are almost same, although the entire parameters can’t be obtained, it can be
noted that the ratios of the two results must be almost same. The results obtained in the paper
are as shown below,

By comparing the above given figures with the Fig 3 and Fig 4, it can be seen that the exit
velocity in Fig 6 is 4.25E3 and in the Fig 3 is 1.3E3. Although there is a deviation in the result
obtained, the pattern of the velocity deviation in both the cases is almost same. Thus,
considering that the deviations is due the change is calculation procedure, meshing accuracy
and change in initial conditions it can be said that both the results match with each other and
the result is Validated.

New boundary Condition, Analysis and Result:

After analysing the above Pattern of the nozzle exit, changes are done at the exit. An
obstacle has been kept at the exit of the nozzle, and then the pressure and velocity variations
over the flow is analysed. The effect of the obstacle and dimension and position of the obstacle
is as shown below.
The obstacle is introduced soon after the nozzle exit and at the bottom. It is 15mm in length
and 20mm in width. The obstacle is considered to infective to the high temperature and is a
rigid body and hence doesn’t undergo deformation due to heat also doesn’t displace due o high
velocity.

The same previous conditions are assumed and the analysis is carried. In order to accommodate
proper meshing of the obstacle, the model is further divided into multiple faces of polygon and
then meshing is done. Care is take to have quad element ratio, Jacobian ratio and element
quality ratio near one and skweeness ratio to near zero. The results of the analysis is as shown
in the figure.

Fig 7: shows the distribution of the velocity pattern along the Rocket Nozzle

Fig 8: shows the distribution of the Pressure pattern along the Rocket Nozzle
Conclusion:
The difference in the flow pattern is clearly visible. From this we can infer that if there
is a flow deviation due to obstacle, the resultant force also deviates causing undesired motion.
In the above scenario, the obstacle had caused the flow to be deviated to right causing
unbalanced forced to the left. Under this case the Rocket wouldn’t be able to maintain stability
and would move left of the centre. This representation also helps us to know the behaviour of
flow when encountered with unknown object.

References:

1. REFERENCE PAPER: CFD Modeling of Supersonic Airflow Generated by 2D

Nozzle by Olivera P. Kostić Research Assistant University of Belgrade Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering Innovation Centre
2. Stefanović, Z., Miloš, M., Todić, I., Pavlović, M.: Investigation of the Pressure
Distribution in a 2D Rocket Nozzle with a Mechanical System for Thrust Vector
Control (TVC), Strojarstvo, Vol. 53 (4), pp 287-292, 2011.
3. Jojić, B., Milinović, M., Stefanović, Z., Blagojević, D.: Pressure Distribution in Rocket
Nozzle with Mechanical System for TVC, AIAA Paper 87- 1824, June 1987.
4. Nauparac, D., Prsić, D., Miloš, M., Samadžić, M.Isaković, J.: Design Criterion to Select
Adequate Control Algorithm for Electro-Hydraulic Actuator Applied to Rocket Engine
Flexible Nozzle Thrust Vector Control Under Specific Load, FMETransactions, Vol.
41, No. 1, pp. 33-40, 2013.