An Analytical and Experimental Investigation of the Erosive Burning of Composite Propellants.
Abstract
Augmentation of solid propellant burning rate often occurs in the presence of strong product gas flow across the burning surface: This phenomenon is referred to as erosive burning. Increasing use of motors with low port-to-throat area ratios (including nozzleless motors) is leading to increased occurrence and severity of erosive burning. A first generation model based upon bending of columnar diffusion flames by a crossflow, permitting prediction of the effect of high-velocity crossflow on the burning rate of a composite propellant given only the zero-crossflow burning rate characteristics, is briefly summarized and compared with data. A second generation model (currently under development) which does not require even zero-crossflow burning rate data, using only composition and particle size as input, is outlined. In addition, a test device permitting extensive characterization of burning rate-pressure-crossflow velocity relationships for various propellants with direct continuous measurement of instantaneous burning rate by high-speed cinematography is described, and results of a series of tests with four propellants are presented. These tests indicate that the first generation composite propellant erosive burning model has reasonable good predictive capability, particularly in the higher pressure region where the propellant combustion is dominated by the propellant heterogeneity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA050386
Entities
People
- Merrill K. King
Organizations
- ARCO