AA 284a

Advanced Rocket Propulsion

Lecture 1
Introduction to Rocket Propulsion

Prepared by
Arif Karabeyoglu

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Stanford University
and
Mechanical Engineering
KOC University

September 22, 2015

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AA 284a Advanced Rocket Propulsion
Generation of the Propulsive Force

time t time t + Δt
• Conservation of momentum ( Ve exhaust velocity for a
perfectly expanded nozzle)
(M − m) (V + ΔV ) + m (V − Ve ) − MV = 0

(M − m! Δt ) (V + ΔV ) + m! Δt (V − Ve ) − MV = 0
ΔV
M = m! Ve
Δt
lim Δt → 0 MV! = m! Ve

• Thrust Force: T = m! Ve
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Rocket Propulsion Fundamentals
Propulsive Force
=
Mass Ejected per Unit Time x Effective Exhaust Velocity

Mass Energy
Rocket
Propulsion

Electric Nuclear Chemical Cold Gas

Liquid Solid Hybrid

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Liquid Rocket Schematic

Example Systems:
– Shuttle main engines
– Saturn V all stages
– Delta core
– Shuttle OMS

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Solid Rocket Schematic

Example Systems:
– Shuttle SRM, Ariene V Boosters, Tactical missiles
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Solid Rocket System

Pegasus solid rocket motor

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Hybrid Rocket Schematic

Example Systems
– SpaceShipTwo, Target drones, Hobby rockets
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Hybrid Rocket System

AMROC H1800 Hybrid System

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Applications of Rocket Propulsion Systems
• Launch vehicles:
– Core propulsion, Booster, Upper stage propulsion, Separation rockets
• Civilian sub-orbital applications (other than ballistic missiles)
– Space tourism, rapid delivery
• Space applications
– Orbit transfer (GTO to GEO transfer)
– In space propulsion (main propulsion system, planetary landing, orbit
insertion)
– Attitude control systems
• Military applications
– Ballistic missiles, Tactical weapon systems, Target drones
• Aircraft thrust augmentation
• Sounding rockets
– Scientific, Educational, Amateur
• Crew escape systems
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Importance of Rocket Propulsion
• Propulsion system constitutes a
large fraction of any launch
system in terms of
– Mass
– Cost
– Failures
• Propulsion system is an
important part of the vehicle (or
satellite) for other applications
• Rocket propulsion is key
– to cost effective reliable
access to space
– to achieve the desired
mission in space

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What Does a Rocket Engineer/Scientist Need to Know ?
• Rocket propulsion is a very interdisciplinary field.
• Some of the important fields are
– Fluid dynamics/gas dynamics
– Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Combustion
– Advanced Physics (Nuclear physics, Electromagnetic theory,
Magnetoplasmadynamics, Particle physics)
– Structures, Material science
– Thermal protection
– Flight dynamics, Trajectories
– Optimization
– Components (Valves, turbopumps etc)
– Testing methods, instrumentation
– Dynamic systems, stability of dynamic systems

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Rocket Equation
• Equation of motion in vacuum
dV dM
M = T = Ve m! = −Ve
dt dt
• Rearrange in the form
dM dM
dV = −Ve = − I sp g o
M M
• Integrate to obtain the “Rocket Equation”
⎛ M ⎞
ΔV = I sp g o ln⎜⎜ i ⎟⎟
⎝ M bo ⎠
Delta V, km/sec   % Payload + Structures Typical System  
(Single Stage)  
1.0   74.3   Satellite Propulsion/Tactical missiles  
2.5   48.3   Sub-orbital (i.e. Space Tourism)  
5.0   23.3   MRBM  
7.5   11.3   LRBM/ICBM  
10.0   5.4   LEO Satellite Launch  
12.5   2.6   Moon Shot  
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History of Rockets-Early History
• Hero of Alexandria
– Credited for inventing the rocket principle
– Devised many machines using air pressure, steam, water
– Earliest machines to use the reaction principle-not certain he
understood the principles
• China (Feng Jishen) 970 AD
– Real inventor of rockets
– Gunpowder in bamboo tubes, a second stick attached for stability
– Used in ceremonies
• Early Military Use
– Kublai Khan 1275 (Japanese invasion)
– Mongolians and Arabs brought the rocket as west as Spain in
1300’s
– Indians (Tipoo Sultan) used rocket against British in 1770’s
– Used in American War of Independence
– Rockets were not used extensively in WW1

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry
• Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935) Russian
– Mathematics teacher, published many papers on the principles of
rocketry, all theoretical
– Here are some of his ideas
• Space travel (1895)
– Escape velocity
– Weightlessness
• Artificial satellites (1895)
• Derived the rocket equation (1903)
• Introduced multi stage rockets (1924)
– He has laid the mathematical foundation of modern space flight
• Identified exhaust velocity as an important parameter
– Understood the importance of high temperature and low molecular
weight in obtaining high exhaust velocities
– Identified liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as suitable propellants
for space travel

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky’s Rocket Schematic and Calculations

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry

• Herman Oberth (1894-1992)

German
– His thesis (which was rejected)
on rocket propulsion published
in 1923
• Examined using rockets for
space travel
• Designed of a liquid engine
using liquid oxygen and alcohol
– His work was also mainly
theoretical
– His best seller book generated
a huge amateur interest in
rocketry in Germany

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry
• Robert Goddard (1882-1945) American
– Professor of Physics at Clark University in Massachusetts
– Published a book ”A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes”
– Granted 214 patents on rocket applications
– Inventions included
• Gyroscopes for guidance
• Use of vanes in the plume to steer rocket
• Use of valve to start and stop
• Use of liquid oxygen to cool nozzle
• Use of turbopumps
– In 1919 published a paper in which he mentioned the possibility of
sending a unmanned rocket to the moon. He was ridiculed by the
press.
– Head to New Mexico, continued until 1940.
– US Government bought his patents for 2 million dollars in 1960.

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry
• Wernher von Braun
(1912-1977) German/American
– One of the young rocket
scientists influenced by
Oberth
– Noticed by the German
military in the 1930’s,
pressured to work for
military’s interest
– We was credited as the
developer of the A4 (V2)
rocket military research
station Peenemunde.
– At the end of WW2
• Russians took Peenemunde
• Americans captured Von
Braun and his high level
technical team.

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry

A4

Russian Track US Track

(Sergei Korolev) (Wernher von Braun)

RD 100
Army Navy
LOX-Alcohol
Redstone Rocket Viking (Indigenous)
(Valertin Glushco)

Jan 31 1958, Jupiter C

Many Russian Rockets Vanguard
Redstone +Sergeant
Vostok, Soyuz Viking + Aerobee+3rd st.
First US Satellite

Saturn V
March 1958
Apollo, Skylab
1kg payload
H2/LOX upper stages

Space Shuttle
Winged vehicle, reusable, solid boosters

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Future

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History of Rockets- Birth of Modern Rocketry
• For thousands of years rocket technology had
– Very limited usage (fireworks, limited military weapon)
– Only propellant gunpowder
• Early in the 20th century pioneers established the foundations of the modern
rocket technology
– Theoretical development
– Engineering development
– Development of a vision
• In 1926 Goddard launched the first liquid rocket (apogee: 184 ft)
• In 1942 first successful A4 flight
• In 1950’s scaled up/improved A4 liquid engine technology, developed solid
rocket technology
• 1960’s development of segmented solid rocket technology, development of
large LOX-kerosene engines, development of large LOX-H2 engines
•1970’s Shuttle technologies: staged combustion, long lifetime reusable engines
•1980-2010’s improve the existing technology

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Future

“Pragmatism always rests on the efforts

of dreamers”
- Wernher von Braun

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