Optimization of Nozzle Contour with Consideration for Chemical Reactions

In this article a computer method is presented which bycombining CFD and optimization algorithms, optimizes thegeometry of a nozzle while taking into consideration theeffects of chemical kinetics and viscosity. The Simplexmethod, which is a single-agent gradient-based optimizationalgorithm, is used to perform the optimization process andis described in this paperA nozzle is then solved using the commercial solverFluent, and the results are compared to available data.Finally the optimization algorithm is implemented. Byconsidering parameters like exit velocity, thrust and weight,the algorithm is iterated until an optimal geometry isreached. For the nozzle optimized in this work, the amountof thrust produced increased by 3%, while the nozzle weightdecreased by 20%.