2-D Comparitive Performance Analysis on a Numerically Computed Aerospike Nozzle Plug

This comparative analysis paper focusses on the rudiments of aerospike plug design and related performance analysis for the nozzle performing at an altitude of 7000 m. The plug nozzle has been derived using preliminary thermodynamic and aerodynamic theory as studied from the reference papers, which are then used as the basic building blocks of an elaborate MATLAB code. The code utilises inputs such as number of characteristic Mach lines, exit area of the nozzle, percentage of truncation length, and exit Mach value. The main use of the code is to get a numerically calculated contour profile of the nozzle plug. This contour profile is then studied and filtered in the 3-D CAD software CATIA V5, and converted to half symmetry which is then imported in ANSYS Fluent (version 2024 R1 -student) for further CFD analysis. The main aim of this paper is to validate certain input criteria already tested once in a reference paper, with small modulations in the design of annular nozzle to see variations in the output results.