Droplet Agglomeration in Rocket Nozzles Caused by Particle Slip and Collision

Abstract

Droplet Agglomeration in Rocket Nozzles Caused by Particle Slip and Collision. The development of the particle mass spectrum in a rocket nozzle is investigated under the assumption that droplet growth by collision and agglomeration is the dominant mechanism subsequent to initial appearance of particles in the rocket chamber. Collisions are calculated on the basis oflinearized particle slip theory and a spectral integral equation is derived describing the development of particle mass spectrum during the flow process along the nozzle. This agglomeration process continues until the droplet temperature falls below the freezing point of the material. A solution is obtained for the approximate growth in the average particle size during the expansion process. The results show that, according to this model, the particle size is strongly dependent on the initial pressure in the rocket chamber and is independent of nozzle geometry. These results suggest that the collision-agglomeration process is at least one of the critical factors that accounts for the size of solid particles in rocket exhausts.