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Rocket Nozzle Expansion — Mach Diamonds

Interactive de Laval rocket-nozzle simulator: tune expansion ratio, chamber pressure, ambient pressure and throat size to watch the supersonic exhaust plume shift between under-expanded, perfectly-expanded and over-expanded regimes, with live exit Mach number, thrust and specific impulse.

Aerospace Engineering & Orbital Mechanics3DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

A rocket engine's bell is a solved gas-dynamics problem: pick an expansion ratio ε = A_e/A_t and the area–Mach relation fixes the exit Mach number, exhaust velocity and specific impulse for you — but only one ambient pressure makes that plume perfectly expanded. This simulator solves the real isentropic-flow equations along a converging–diverging nozzle contour, animates the resulting supersonic acceleration in 3D, and reshapes the exhaust plume live as you change the expansion ratio, chamber pressure, throat size or simulated altitude — watch the same engine go from over-expanded and boundary-shocked at sea level to a smooth perfectly-expanded jet, then under-expanded with visible Mach diamonds as the ambient pressure drops toward vacuum.

⚙ Under the hood

Solve real isentropic nozzle-flow equations along a de Laval rocket nozzle and watch the supersonic exhaust plume shift between under-expanded, perfectly-expanded and over-expanded regimes as you tune expansion ratio, chamber pressure and simulated altitude.

de laval nozzlemach diamondssupersonic exhaustrocket propulsionspecific impulseexpansion ratio

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install