Study on the Off-design Performance on a Plug Nozzle with Variable Throat Area

In the present study were examined numerically and experimentally the off-design performance characteristics on an axisymmetric plug nozzle with variable throat area. In this nozzle concept, its throat area can be changed by translating the plug into the axial direction. First, a mixed-expansion plug nozzle, in which two expansion parts are arranged both inside and outside, was designed by means of the method of characteristics. Second, the CFD analysis was verified by the cold-flow wind tunnel test. Third, its performance characteristics were evaluated over a wide range of pressure ratio from half to double throat area through the design point, using the CFD code verified by the wind tunnel tests. It was made clear from the study that not so critical thrust efficiency losses were found and the maximum thrust efficiency loss was at most approximately 5 % under off-design conditions without external flow. This result shows that a plug nozzle can give the altitude compensation even under off-design geometry operations. However, shock waves were observed in the inner expansion part under the doubled throat area operation and thus some thermal problems may be caused on the plug surface. Furthermore, collapse of cell structure on the plug surface was observed with external flow (around Mach number 2.0) as it became lower pressure ratio below the design point and the fact may result in big efficiency loss regardless of geometrical configuration.