Structural Analysis of Rocket Nozzle

A solid rocket motor nozzle is an essential component housed in the rear end of the rocket. The basic purpose of having this component is the conversion of the thermal energy into kinetic energy thereby imparting thrust to the missile. Nozzle Geometry is of paramount importance to understand the performance of a missile. The performance can be modified by changing the geometrical design, so as to achieve maximum effective velocity of the rocket. Nozzle design is a complex, multi- disciplinary and an iterative process. Aerodynamic, thermodynamic, structural and fabrication considerations are manipulated within the constraints to produce a preliminary nozzle configuration. The configuration thus produced is then rigorously analyzed for thermal and structural defects and also its contribution on the rockets overall performance. The iterative process is continued until a thermally and structurally adequate nozzle is obtained within the required rocket constraints. Two basic exit configurations are considered in the design process, contoured and conical. The contoured nozzle turns the flow so that the exhaust products exit in a more or less axial direction thereby reducing divergences losses. The conical nozzle on the other hand is considered due to its ease of fabrication. In this report the design and analysis of a contour nozzle for optimizing thrust as per the requirements and constraints is carried out. The design process is carried out as per the GVR Rao method which has now become an aerospace industry standard due to its ease of use and accuracy.