CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF SOLID PROPELLANT BURNING RATES.
Abstract
An experimental apparatus was developed for the direct and continuous measurement of the burning rates of solid rocket propellants under conditions closely approximating those occurring in a solid rocket motor. The apparatus utilizes a positioning type servomechanism as a feed system which moves a sample of solid propellant within a two-dimensional rocket motor so that the receding burning surface of the sample is maintained at a fixed position with respect to the motor walls. Because the burning surface is maintained at a fixed position; the measurement of the velocity of the propellant feed system is identical with the burning rate. The servomechanism incorporates a 50 millicurie Cesium-137 source of gamma rays coupled with a scintillation probe for detecting the position of the burning propellant surface. Experimental data were obtained with the above servomechanism for two composite propellant formulations, for combustion pressures ranging from 125 to 505 psia, and for burning rates ranging from 0.16 to 0.33 in/sec. The data correlated well with previously published data. A theoretical analysis of the servomechanism was performed for determining the stability and performance of the system. An optimization analysis of the servomechanism system yielded the optimum operating parameters. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0615816
Entities
People
- J .r. Osborn
- R. F. Panella
- R. J. Burick
Organizations
- Purdue University