A computational method tailored for the simulation of fluidic thrust-vectoring systems is employed to investigate the dynamic response of a dual-throat nozzle in open- and closed-loop control. Thrust vectoring in fixed, symmetric nozzles is obtained by secondary flow injections that cause local flow separations, asymmetric pressure distributions, and, as a consequence, the vectoring of primary jet flow. The computational technique is based on a well-assessed mathematical model for the compressible unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. A minimal control system governs the unsteady blowing. Nozzle performances and thrust-vector angles have been computed for a wide range of nozzle pressure ratios and secondary flow injection rates. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data available in the open literature. Several computations of the open-loop dynamics of the nozzle under different forcing have been performed to investigate the system response in terms of thrust-vectoring effectiveness and controllability. These computations have been used to extract autoregressive exogenous models of the nozzle dynamics. The effects of including the actuator dynamics are also discussed. Simple strategies of closed-loop control of the nozzle system by proportional–integrative–derivative regulators are investigated numerically. The closed-loop model predictive control of the system, based on the autoregressive exogenous models, is addressed.

The application of the Shock Vector Control (SVC) approach to an axysimmetric supersonic nozzle is studied numerically. SVC is a Fluidic Thrust Vectoring (FTV) strategy that is applied to fixed nozzles in order to realize jet-vectoring effects normally obtained by deflecting movable nozzles. In the SVC method, a secondary air flow injection close to the nozzle exit generates an asymmetry in the wall pressure distribution and side-loads on the nozzle, which are also lateral components of the thrust vector. SVC forcing of the axisymmetric nozzle generates fully three-dimensional flows with very complex structures that interact with the external flow. In the present work, the experimental data on a nozzle designed and tested for a supersonic cruise aircraft are used for validating the numerical tool at different flight Mach numbers and nozzle pressure ratios. Then, an optimal position for the slot is sought and the fully 3D flow at flight Mach number $M_{\infty }=0.9$ is investigated numerically for different values of the SVC forcing.

The Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) will be a new experimental facility located at Frascati, Rome, Italy, whose main goal will be to have a better understanding on hot plasma interactions with plasma-facing components (PFCs) and aid in the development of ITER and successively DEMO. The improved conceptual design of the beamline for the DTT neutral beam heating (NBH) system is here overviewed, with a particular focus on the technical solutions adopted to fulfill the requirements and maximize beamline performances. The proposed system features a beamline providing deuterium neutrals (D⁰) with an energy of 510 keV and an injected power of 10 MW. Various design options have been considered, and a comprehensive set of simulations has been carried out using several physics and engineering codes to drive the choice of the most suitable design options and optimize them, aiming at finding a good compromise among different design requirements.

Aerospike nozzles represent an interesting solution for Single-Stage-To-Orbit or clustered launchers owing to their self-adapting capability, which can lead to better performance compared to classical nozzles. Furthermore, they can provide thrust vectoring in several ways. A simple solution consists of applying differential throttling when multiple combustion chambers are used. An alternative solution is represented by fluidic thrust vectoring, which requires the injection of a secondary flow from a slot. In this work, the flow field in a linear aerospike nozzle was investigated numerically and both differential throttling and fluidic thrust vectoring were studied. The flow field was predicted by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. The thrust vectoring performance was evaluated in terms of side force generation and axial force reduction. The effectiveness of fluidic thrust vectoring was investigated by changing the mass flow rate of secondary flow and injection location. The results show that the response of the system can be non-monotone with respect to the mass flow rate of the secondary injection. In contrast, differential throttling provides a linear behaviour but it can only be applied to configurations with multiple combustion chambers. Finally, the effects of different plug truncation levels are discussed.