Design of an ideal truncated nozzle for a re-usable first stage launcher

Kurzfassung

This paper presents the design of a truncated ideal nozzle (TIC) for the RFZ model, a generic, open source geometry of a re-usable launcher. This new nozzle is designed with methane as a fuel, to be more in line with current trends for re-usable launch systems. The design methodology is presented, along with some internal flow calculations which compare the new shape with the existing Rao-nozzle. Finally, some external flow simulations are conducted to determine if nozzle design has any influence on plume-plume interactions and the subsequent heat loads around the base of the vehicle during various phases of flight. The geometry of the new nozzle and results will be made openly available to the research community to promote collaboration in understanding the design challenges associated with re-usable launchers.