The mass flow rate through the nozzle of a rocket engine is the amount of propellant expelled per unit of time, and it is a crucial parameter in understanding the engine’s performance.
The velocity () in terms of the local speed of sound () is given by:
which gives,
where,
- ṁ is the mass flow rate of the nozzle
- is the density of the exhaust gases at the throat
- A is the throat nozzle area
- Isp is the Specific Impulse of the Rocket
- g0 is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s² for Earth).