The cold gas thruster nozzle was my first project within the Boston University Rocket Propulsion Group (BURPG) in Fall 2022. This project introduced me to basic engine design and rocket propulsion, as well as introduced me to FEA.

The goal was to design and build a cold gas thruster nozzle with little mass while maximizing specific impulse, given a set chamber pressure, nitrogen gas propellant, room temperature, and sea level pressure but optimized for an altitude of 45,000 ft. 

Before designing, I read Rocket Propulsion Elements to understand rocket propulsion principles and nozzle theory. I used the area-mach and thrust equations to determine my dimensions, thrust, and specific impulse. I chose an 80% bell converging-diverging nozzle for my design to decrease some mass without sacrificing too much thrust.

During the design phase, I used hand calculations (hoop stress) and SolidWorks FEA to determine the strength and sizing of my nozzle, aiming for an FOS Yield of 2.0 and an FOS Ultimate of 3.0. After presenting a Critical Design Review, I 3D printed my nozzle in ABS. However, the nozzle could not be tested due to delays in the shipment of the test stand parts.