Dr. Daniel Feszty
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Transatmospheric and Spacecraft Propulsion

Week 1                               Introduction
                                                - rocket fundamentals (thrust equation, specific impulse, total impulse, effective exhaust velocity, ideal rocket equation, inert mass fraction,                                                    thrust level)
                                                - brief review of vehicle staging, velocity budget, steering

Week 2                              Review of Thermodynamics
                                               - review of Steady Flow Energy Equation (SFEE), enthalpy, perfect gas law, specific heat, entropy
                                               - review of isentropic flow in 1D as related to nozzle flows, characteristic exhaust velocity, overexpansion & underexpansion, nozzle                                                                     efficiency
                                               - review of heat addition and heat transfer (for nozzle throat ceramic coating design)

                                               Case Study 1: Design of a Cold Gas Thruster

Week 3                              Review of Thermochemistry
                                               - overview of bond energy, constant-V and constant-p processes, heats of formation, reaction, fusion, vaporization, products of combustion
                                               - flame temperature
                                               - chemical kinetics
                                               - combustion of liquids vs. solids

Weeks 4-6                      Liquid Rockets
                                              - operating principles of monopropellant and bipropellant systems
                                              - system components: propellant feed systems (tank-pressure vs. turbo-pump feeding), propellant storage, tank pressurization, propellant                                                      flow control, interconnections, thrust chamber, thrust vector control, structural mounts, propellants
                                              - design process

                                               Case Study 2: Design of a Liquid Rocket

Week 7-8                        Solid Rockets
                                              - operating principle
                                              - system components: motor casings, thrust skirts and polar bosses, igniters, internal insulation, nozzles, thrust-vector control
                                              - solid rocket propellants: fuels, binders, burning rate, grain types
                                              - performance prediction
                                              - design process

                                              Case Study 3: Design of a Solid Rocket

Week 9-11                     Hybrid Rockets
                                              - operating principle
                                              - system components
                                              - internal ballistics: burning rate expressions, effect of pressure, correlation with experimental data
                                              - design process

                                             Case Study 4: Design of a Hybrid Rocket

Week 12                        Advanced Engine Concepts
                                            - Nuclear propulsion
                                            - Electric propulsion
                                            - Air-augmented rockets
                                            - Non-rocket advancements & interstellar flight
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