Advantages and Disadvantages of Using an Aerospike Nozzle: The aerospike nozzle has 90% overall better performance than the conventional bell shaped nozzle. The efficiency at low altitudes is much higher because the atmospheric pressure restricts the expansion of the exhaust gas.
How does a aerospike engine work?
The idea behind the aerospike design is that at low altitude the ambient pressure compresses the exhaust against the spike. As the vehicle climbs to higher altitudes, the air pressure holding the exhaust against the spike decreases, as does the drag in front of the vehicle.
What are aerospike nozzles?
Aerospike Nozzle The aerospike nozzle is a bell nozzle with its nozzle profile turned inside out. Flow of combustion gases is directed radially inward towards the nozzle axis. In the annular aerospike nozzle, flow issues from an annulus at a diameter located some radial distance from the nozzle axis.
Why dont we use aerospike engines?
In aerospike the pressure (and temperature) of the gas remains very high all along the spike surface, and the sharp tip leaves very little room for cooling systems. You have a lot of extra-hot, very dense gas in contact with the narrow spike that must pass all the coolant and dissipate the heat somehow, not to melt.
Are aerospike engines good?
But an aerospike is a pretty good way to do a single stage to orbit rocket, since you can essentially utilize a vacuum optimized engine at sea level and not only will it not explode, it'll operate about as well at sea level as a sea-level optimized rocket engine.
Why is SpaceX not using aerospike?
SpaceX isn't using single stage to orbit vehicles. They have a two-stage vehicle. The first stage has engines optimized for sea level external pressure, and the second stage has an engine optimized for vacuum. They don't need aerospike engines and wouldn't significantly benefit from them.