Basic Rocket Nozzle Design
Aerospike Bullets are literally designed using state of the art Aerospace Engineering theory and practice. The foundation of rocket nozzle technology is using the Method Of Characteristics to solve for the most efficient flow of gasses through a rocket nozzle when the gasses are moving faster than the speed of sound. This method was originally developed in the 1940’s and the original unclassified papers can be found (in their original German) online. This method produces the classic “Bell Shape” rocket nozzle that is widely used today.
Aerospike Rocket Nozzle Design
Aerospike Rocket Nozzles use the same math to design the basic “Bell Shape” nozzle but it inverts the design (turns it inside out). This is a cool idea and has been used for some prototypes but it only provides minor improvements in efficiency and adds too much weight compared to the basic design.
Aerospike Bullet Design
Although the aerospike rocket nozzle never really caught on, the same theory can be used (with some minor changes) to put a maximum efficiency shape on the back of a bullet if the bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound. It has taken over 20 years since the first concept to finally translate the Aerospike Bullet idea into a proven, tested product.
