Optical Observation of Aerospike Engine Combustion Gas

Abstract

In this experiment, the aerospike engine combustion gas was visualized using the Schlieren method. Propellant were hydrogen and oxygen gas. Though the combustion gas choked at the throat, the shock wave was not observed around the nozzle.The characteristic exhaust velocity was evaluated, using the estimated propellant flow rates. C^*efficiency was evaluated to be 0.997, using the calculation result by NASA CEA.