Compressible Flow Through Converging-Diverging Nozzles Consider the following converging-diverging nozzle in which a compressible fluid is flowing.

Assume the flow is frictionless and adiabatic i.e., isentropic. In this case,

cp

cv ,

=c=

p1

1
p

p = 1 ( ) p1

Mechanical Energy (Bernoulli Balance)

u 2 u12 dp + =0 2 2 p1
. The above expression for can be substituted into the pressure integral to obtain 1 p p 1 1 dp p1 p p1 = ( 1) 1 [( p1 ) 1] 1 p 1 . Substituting this relationship back into the Bernoulli balance leads to the following velocity-pressure relationship:
2 p1 p u = [1 ( ) ( 1) 1 p1
2

] .

Oftentimes the mass flow rate, is the most important flow characteristic and here it is related to the pressure by the following relationship:

m 2 p ( )2 = p1 1[1 ( ) A ( 1) p1
. The maximum value of

p ]( ) p1

m occurs at the throat of the converging-diverging A

nozzle but it also depends on pressure; the maximum occurs when

d ( m A) =0 d ( p p1 ) . where AT is the cross sectional area of the throat. The latter constraint leads to the definition of a critical pressure ratio at the throat, pCT:

pCT 2 1 ) =( . p1 +1
Then the critical velocity at the throat, uCT , is obtained from the following relationship:
2 uCT =(

2 p1 pCT RTCT ) = = = c2 . MW + 1 1 CT

Thus the gas velocity at the throat of the converging-diverging nozzle under critical conditions is the local speed of sound, c. This is the maximum velocity that can be attained at the throat and it is referred to as choking the throat. Under choking conditions the critical mass flow rate is:

mc = AT

2 1 (p1 1 ( ) . +1

+1

If the diffuser section is absent, the flow is essentially that through an orifice in a high-pressure reservoir with applications in the performance of rupture disks.

Example 1. Case I: u<c, i.e., Ma<1, everywhere. In this case there is subsonic flow at the throat and

p 2p1 u= [1 ( 1 ) p ( 1) 1

 = T AT uT m where a subscript T denotes the throat of the converging-diverging nozzle. In this case the velocity increases as the area decreases and attains a maximum u < c at the throat and then the velocity deceases in the diverging section.

2. Case II: Sonic speed at the throat, i.e., u=c. In this case

p c = T T
2

and

2p1 p p1 = [1 ( T ) p1 1 ( 1) 1
1

] .

Since the process is assumed to be isentropic

T p = ( T ) 1 p1
and

p 2 1 ( T)=( ) . p1 +1
This ratio is approximately for common gases. 3. Case III: u>c somewhere in diverging section. In this case a shock, i.e., a sudden change in pressure, occurs somewhere down stream of the throat. This occurs when the pressure at the outlet of the nozzle, p o , is lower than the value necessary to p produce a sonic velocity at the throat. There is one value of o , i.e., p1

p E in the previous figure, for which no shock occurs in a welldesigned nozzle. Determination of p C and p E (see the previous
figure) leads to the following equation after some lengthy algebra:

p 2 Ao2 po ( ) [1 ( o ) AT p1 p1

2 1 2 ) )( ] = ( 1)( . +1 +1

+1

This equation can be solved for the ratio of outlet pressure to reservoir po p , then the equation can be recast in the pressure, i.e., o . Let x p1 p1 form:

A ( 1) 2 1 x 2 x +1 ( T ) 2 ( ) =0 . 2 Ao +1

+1

There are two roots of this equation representing the values

pE on the previous plot. Once the gas, p1

pC and p1

and the geometry of the

nozzle, i.e., Example

A1 , the two pressures can be computed. Ao

cp cv = 1.3 flowing from a tank through a

Consider a gas with

converging-diverging nozzle of 1 in. throat and 2 in exit diameter. The pressure in the tank is 35 psia. Determine po and pc. Here x 2 x 2.3 0.0129 = 0 . This equation can be solved using Newtons method to yield x 0.108 and x 0.925 . Thus, it follows that
pC = (35)(0.936) = 32.7 psia p E = (35)(0.108) = 3.8 psia

Thus, for example, if po = 20 psia , a shock would occur somewhere in the diverging section of the nozzle.