What is the flow velocity of a rocket engine's thrust chamber?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on determining the flow velocity in a rocket engine's thrust chamber, with initial literature suggesting a range of 200-400 ft/sec. However, experimental results from the Saturn V F-1 engine indicate a much higher velocity of approximately 1500 ft/sec, raising questions about the reliability of the literature. The user is trying to calculate the thrust chamber radius and cylinder length, but existing formulas, particularly for smaller engines like the Apollo SM/LM R-4D thruster, yield inaccurate results. The conversation highlights the need for more reliable data and formulas applicable to various engine sizes. Accurate flow velocity measurements are crucial for proper engine design and performance analysis.
treddie
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Hello.

I am trying to find the thrust chamber flow velocity for a rocket engine, but no literature seems to be able to come up with a solution for this. The best I have found is "Rocket Propulsion Elements" which states that the value probably lies somewhere between 200-400 ft/sec.

But in my tests, I come up with something more along the lines of 1500 ft/sec for the Saturn V F-1 engine. This is either wrong, or the range of 200-400 ft/sec is unreliable. I think my result is wrong because it should be a LOT slower than the approximate Mach 1 at the throat.

The reason I am fixated on this chamber flow velocity is that it seems to be my only ticket to getting the thrust chamber radius (and from that and other data, chamber cylinder length). I have tried the chamber length approximation (for the cylindrical portion) of Lc = EXP(.029LN(Dt)^2 + .47LN(Dt) + 1.94), in (cm), (from http://www.braeunig.us/space/propuls.htm), but this only seems to work well for large engines. When I tried it for a small, Apollo SM/LM R-4D thruster, it was way too large (not even in the ball park, really).
 
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