OPTIMUM PROPELLANT LOADING AND PROPELLANT UTILIZATION SYSTEM TECHNIQUES (A TUTORIAL REPORT)
Abstract
The report derives optimum fuel or mixture ratio biasing techniques commonly employed in current ballistic missile programs. The missile stages can use conventional loading (e.g., Titan and Thor) or they can use propellant utilization (PU) systems (e.g., Atlas and Centaur). A description of the mechanization errors leading to unburned propellant (outage) is given for both cases. Formulae, derived in the report, allow the calculation of mean outage; the mean square outage; the outage variance; as well as the probability that the outage is less than some fixed value. The analysis applies directly to conventionally loaded ballistic missiles. It is assumed that the missile stage is loaded in accordance with a loading mixture ratio. A mixture ratio bias is calculated that will minimize the mean outage and the mean square outage and maximize the probability that the outage is less than some fixed value. An identification is obtained that extends the basic loading formulae to stages employing PU systems. Additional formulae are given that allow calculation of a fuel or oxidizer bias equivalent to the mixture ratio bias.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0266445
Entities
People
- David W. Whitcombe
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation