Originally Posted By: ImagingGeek

Ftotal = Fn + Fp = [m*Ve] + [Pt-Pe]Ae


Hi Bryan. Yea I pretty much got the gist of that, cheers. But it still doesn't explain an equation Paul put up, off NASA's website:

Exit Velocity: Ve = Me sqrt(gamma R Te)

According to both you and that same site, for a straight nozzle, Me = 1
gamma is probably on the order of 1
R > 0
Te > 0
So Ve > 0 for a straight nozzle.


You have a different equation for Ve, which gives zero if Pe=Pt. But Pe <> Pt because you need a difference to get any pressure thrust.


Quote:

Ve = the exit velocity of the gas from the nozzle, relative to the velocity of the gas when it enters the nozzle.


Wikipedia: "Ve = Exhaust velocity at nozzle exit"
No mention of being relative to the pre-nozzle velocity. NASA's page equally doesn't say anything about it being an "extra" velocity, they just call it velocity.


So I'm stongly leaning in Paul's direction.