Effects of the Nozzle Configuration and Ignition Position on Momentum Coupling Coefficient in Laser Propulsion
Hai-Bin Zhao, Yan-Ji Hong and Qian Li
Three kinds of nozzle configurations were considered: rectangular, expanding and convergent in a longitudinal section. In order to study the effects of the nozzle configuration and ignition position on the momentum coupling coefficients, the evolutionary characteristics of the fluid field was simulated by a CFD (computational fluid dynamic) programme. The results show that the performance of the expanding nozzle is best. The maximum momentum coupling coefficient is observed when the angle is in the range of 35&Mac176;~ 45&Mac176; but when the ignition position is in the range 1 ~ 7 cm, it has little effect on the momentum coupling coefficient.