THE PREDICTION OF THE BURNING RATE EXPONENT OF SOLID PROPELLANTS,

Abstract

It has been postulated by the author that the burning rate exponent for solid propellant combustion can be represented by n = log (1/Lewis number). The Lewis number, Le, is a dimensionless ratio of mass diffusivity to thermal diffusivity. The Lewis number correlation is used in the paper to explain burning rate versus pressure behavior for various progressive, plateau, and regressive propellants. Qualitative prediction by the correlation of observed relationships of heat and mass transport, density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity is described. Discussion is also presented on use of the model to predict a critical density effect in deflagration-to-detonation phenomena. Using a selected PBAA-ammonium perchlorate propellant as a base, the burning rate exponents of two other similar propellants were calculated. Calculated exponent values, using the Lewis number correlation, were within 10 to 25 percent of measured exponents. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0815882

Entities

People

  • Robert J. Heaston

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammonium Perchlorate
  • Burning Rate
  • Chemical Kinetics
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Classification
  • Combustion
  • Composite Propellants
  • Conductivity
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Transfer
  • Materials Science
  • Military Research
  • Propellants
  • Solid Propellants
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Thermal Diffusivity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Rocket Propulsion.