For aerospike engines, the specific impulse is influenced by the engine design, propellant combination, and operational parameters.
For aerospike engines, the mass flow rate is influenced by the design of the aerospike nozzle and the flow characteristics of the propellant.
It’s important to note that aerospike engines have unique nozzle designs that can provide more efficient performance at different altitudes compared to traditional bell-shaped nozzles. The specific impulse of an aerospike engine may be affected by its ability to adapt to varying ambient pressure conditions.
It is defined as the thrust generated per unit of propellant expended and is expressed in seconds.
where,
- is the specific impulse of the rocket engine (in seconds, s)
- F is the Thrust Produced
- ṁ is the mass flow rate of propellant in KG/Sec
- g0 is the acceleration due to gravity