Stress and strain analysis of a flexible joint for a rocket nozzle.

 

The aim of this work was that of obtaining the stress behavior in the nozzle and in the thrust vector control device (flexible joint), under the condition of maximum pressure and maximum deviation angle. As a by-product, the calculation of the actuation load needed to obtain the maximum deviation was found.

The joint that allows the nozzle orientation is constituted by a ring with spherical surfaces and composed by 6 layers of rubber bonded to 5 layers of steel. The material of the nozzle is layered orthotropic Carbon-Phenolic.

The pressures in the throat area and divergent are calculated under the assumption of isoentropic flow with an external program and introduced in Ansys in tabular form. The actuation load is expanded in a Fourier series and used in connection with harmonic elements. On the basis of the structural analysis results a rubber of lower hardness was adopted.