Numerical Investigation of Fluidic Thrust Vectoring in an Elliptical Dual-Bell Rocket Nozzle Using Shock Vector Control

Abstract

Fluidic thrust vector control has emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional mechanical vectoring systems in modern rocket propulsion due to its reduced structural complexity, improved reliability, and rapid response capability. In a recent study, the authors proposed a novel elliptical cross-section dual-bell rocket nozzle and demonstrated its aerodynamic performance compared with conventional dual-bell configurations. Building upon that design, the present work investigates the application of fluidic thrust vectoring using the shock vector control (SVC) method in the proposed nozzle configuration. A secondary jet is injected into the divergent section of the nozzle to generate asymmetric shock structures and modify the internal pressure distribution, leading to controlled deflection of the exhaust plume. The three-dimensional compressible Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved using a finite-volume approach with the SST k–ω turbulence model to analyze the interaction between the injected jet and the primary supersonic flow. The effects of injection pressure ratio and mass flow rate on shock formation, flow separation, and thrust vector angle are systematically examined. Numerical results show that the injected jet induces a strong asymmetric shock system, producing significant jet deflection and effective thrust vectoring while maintaining acceptable propulsion performance. The findings demonstrate that the combination of the elliptical dual-bell nozzle and shock vector control provides a promising fluidic thrust vectoring mechanism for advanced altitude-adaptive rocket propulsion systems.