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

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SUMMARY

The flow velocity of a rocket engine's thrust chamber is critical for determining the thrust chamber radius and cylinder length. While "Rocket Propulsion Elements" suggests a flow velocity range of 200-400 ft/sec, empirical tests on the Saturn V F-1 engine indicate a significantly higher velocity of approximately 1500 ft/sec. This discrepancy raises questions about the reliability of the literature. The chamber length approximation formula, Lc = EXP(.029LN(Dt)^2 + .47LN(Dt) + 1.94), is effective for large engines but fails for smaller thrusters like the Apollo SM/LM R-4D.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of rocket propulsion principles
  • Familiarity with thrust chamber design
  • Knowledge of fluid dynamics in high-speed flows
  • Experience with empirical testing methods in aerospace engineering
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Rocket Propulsion Elements" for detailed theoretical frameworks
  • Investigate empirical methods for measuring thrust chamber flow velocity
  • Explore the application of Lc = EXP(.029LN(Dt)^2 + .47LN(Dt) + 1.94) for various engine sizes
  • Study the design and performance characteristics of the Saturn V F-1 engine
USEFUL FOR

Aerospace engineers, propulsion specialists, and students studying rocket design and performance optimization will benefit from this discussion.

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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