Advanced Chemical Rocket Propulsion

Developed and expanded from the work presented at the New Energetic Materials and Propulsion Techniques for Space Exploration workshop in June 2014, this book contains new scientific results, up-to-date reviews, and inspiring perspectives in a number of areas related to the energetic aspects of chemical rocket propulsion. This collection covers the entire life of energetic materials from their conceptual formulation to practical manufacturing; it includes coverage of theoretical and experimental ballistics, performance properties, as well as laboratory-scale and full system-scale, handling, hazards, environment, ageing, and disposal. Chemical Rocket Propulsion is a unique work, where a selection of accomplished experts from the pioneering era of space propulsion and current technologists from the most advanced international laboratories discuss the future of chemical rocket propulsion for access to, and exploration of, space. It will be of interest to both postgraduate and final-year undergraduate students in aerospace engineering, and practicing aeronautical engineers and designers, especially those with an interest in propulsion, as well as researchers in energetic materials.

The definitive text on rocket propulsion—now revised to reflect advancements in the field For sixty years, Sutton's Rocket Propulsion Elements has been regarded as the single most authoritative sourcebook on rocket propulsion technology. As with the previous edition, coauthored with Oscar Biblarz, the Eighth Edition of Rocket Propulsion Elements offers a thorough introduction to basic principles of rocket propulsion for guided missiles, space flight, or satellite flight. It describes the physical mechanisms and designs for various types of rockets' and provides an understanding of how rocket propulsion is applied to flying vehicles. Updated and strengthened throughout, the Eighth Edition explores: The fundamentals of rocket propulsion, its essential technologies, and its key design rationale The various types of rocket propulsion systems, physical phenomena, and essential relationships The latest advances in the field such as changes in materials, systems design, propellants, applications, and manufacturing technologies, with a separate new chapter devoted to turbopumps Liquid propellant rocket engines and solid propellant rocket motors, the two most prevalent of the rocket propulsion systems, with in-depth consideration of advances in hybrid rockets and electrical space propulsion Comprehensive and coherently organized, this seminal text guides readers evenhandedly through the complex factors that shape rocket propulsion, with both theory and practical design considerations. Professional engineers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as students in mechanical and aerospace engineering will find this updated classic indispensable for its scope of coverage and utility.

Equips students with an up-to-date practical knowledge of rocket propulsion, numerous homework problems, and online self-study materials.

The purpose of this book is to discuss, at the graduate level, the methods of performance prediction for chemical rocket propulsion. A pedagogical presentation of such methods has been unavailable thus far and this text, based upon lectures, fills this gap. The first part contains the energy-minimization to calculate the propellant-combustion composition and the subsequent computation of rocket performance. While incremental analysis is for high performance solid motors, equilibrium-pressure analysis is for low performance ones. Both are detailed in the book's second part for the prediction of ignition and tail-off transients, and equilibrium operation. Computer codes, adopting the incremental analysis along with erosive burning effect, are included. The material is encouraged to be used and presented at lectures. Senior undergraduate and graduate students in universities, as well as practicing engineers and scientists in rocket industries, form the readership.

The revised edition of this practical, hands-on book discusses the launch vehicles in use today throughout the world, and includes the latest details on advanced systems being developed, such as electric and nuclear propulsion. The author covers the fundamentals, from the basic principles of rocket propulsion and vehicle dynamics through the theory and practice of liquid and solid propellant motors, to new and future developments. He provides a serious exposition of the principles and practice of rocket propulsion, from the point of view of the user who is not an engineering specialist.