4262: Rockets and Mission Analysis Name: _______________________

February 14, 2008 !am "1

#nstructions:
1$ %&end only one continuous '0 minute session on t(is e!am$
2. )&en book*notes, but do not consult anyone else +(ile com&letin, t(e e!am$
-a,e 1: 1./
Ans+er t(e 0ollo+in, 1uestions, +(ic( are 0ound in t(e 2ery 0irst &ara,ra&( 3&a,e
45 o0 Mec(anics and 6(ermodynamics o0 -ro&ulsion, as briefly as &ossible:
1. When a rocket engine discharges into a vacuum it has no medium to push against.
How can it still exert a thrust force with nothing to push against?
2. How can a rocket vehicle be propelled to a speed higher than the speed at which
the exhaust jet leaves the rocket nozzle?
7ircle t(e best ans+er c(oice:
1. n general! the specific impulse of a turbojet is "higher # about the same # lower #
can not compare these on e$ual basis% than that of a chemical rocket.
2. &or a given momentum flux relative to a rocket! the thrust is "linearl' dependent #
logarithmicall' dependent # independent% of the flight speed of the vehicle.
(. ) multistage rocket has e$ual exit velocities and e$ual structural coefficients for
all stages. *he pa'load ratio of the final stage to fire to that of the first stage to fire
should be "larger # smaller # identical # can not answer this definitivel' without
knowing more details about the rocket%.
1
8uestion 1: 9Rock:et -ro&ulsion 310/5:
)n astronaut is accidentall' separated from his spaceship. +uckil'! during his mission he
collected a bag of moon rocks. n order to make it back to the ship the astronaut begins to
throw the rocks and begins to move back to safet'. )t a given instant in time the
following parameters are known,
- . throwing rate "rocks#second%
/astro . mass of the astronaut and ever'thing he caries "kg%
/rock . mass of a single rock "kg%
0rock . velocit' of the rock relative to the astronaut "m#s%
0astro . velocit' of the astronaut and ever'thing attached to him "m#s%
-art 1, 1sing these variables! write down an expression for the force on the astronaut.
-art 2: n ph'sical terms! how is the astronaut generating thrust?
2
-roblem 1 32./5:
&ind the ratio of the velocities of two vehicles! one powered b' a li$uid2chemical rocket
and the other b' a solid2chemical rocket! when the' are both used for acceleration of a
13!333 kg pa'load in a zero2gravit' field. 4oth vehicles have a total initial mass of
513!333 kg. *he li$uid2propellant rocket has 637 greater specific impulse and (37
greater mass of empt' vehicle "without propellant and pa'load%! and the solid2propellant
rocket has a structural coefficient of .3.383.

(
-roblem 2 32./5:
-art 1: 1sing a propellant of molecular weight 15 and combustion chamber temperature
of (!(33 9! determine the rocket throat and exhaust areas re$uired for a thrust of 533 k:
and an ideal specific impulse of (33 seconds. *he ambient pressure is 3.1 /;a! and the
ratio of specific heats of the propellant is 1.<.
-art 2: How much thrust would this rocket develop if the ambient pressure were changed
to 3.3( /;a?
-art 4: How much thrust would be developed b' a rocket designed to expand to 3.3(
/;a if it had the same stagnation conditions! throat area! and propellant?
<
-roblem 4 32./5:
) to' rocket containing water and compressed air has mass 3.23 kg when empt' and can
carr' 1 kg of water. *he initial air pressure at launch is 3.(5 /;a.
-art 1: What is the minimum nozzle diameter that will permit vertical takeoff?
-art 2: What is the specific impulse under these conditions?
-art 4: Wh' is the water added?
5
=xtra ;age
6
!tra 7redit 0or !am 1
71 310 -oints5: ) rocket has the following parameters,
*hrust . 6333 :
sp . 233 seconds
nitial mass . 233 kg
4urn time . 13 seconds
)ssume that the exit pressure is e$uilibrated with the atmospheric back pressure at all
times! neglect drag! and assume gravit' is a constant "use g.13 m#s
2
if 'ou want%.
1. *he condition of maximum propulsive efficienc' for aircraft jet engines is the
case where 1.1e! or the velocit' of the vehicle is e$ual to that of the exhaust.
>oes this rocket see such a condition of maximum propulsive efficienc' at an'
time during a vertical launch?
2. What is the velocit' at burnout?
(. How much additional height does the rocket attain after burnout?
72 3. -oints5: -edo =xam ?1 @uestion 1 using the full form of the momentum
conservation e$uation.
74 3. -oints5: Aomplete the following
1. -egenerate HB; &igure 1<.6! for eloss . 133 e0 and 153 e0 for all four
propellants shown. -egenerate the &igure for eloss . 133 e0! 153 e0! and 233 e0
for Hg and Ce.
2. -epeat for HB; &igure 1<.D.
D