Erosive Burning of Composite Solid Propellants: Experimental and Modeling Studies
Abstract
An experimental apparatus designed for measurement of erosive burning rates at crossflow velocities up to Mach 1 has been used to determine the erosive burning characteristics of seven propellant formulations with systematically varied properties. A composite propellant erosive burning model based on the bending of columnar diffusion flames gives reasonably good agreement with the measured erosive burning data over a wide range of conditions, breaking down only in regions where the fuel-oxidizer gas stream mixing does not control burning rate. Propellant base (no-crossflow) burning rate is found to have a predominant effect on sensitivity to crossflow (higher- burning-rate formulations being considerably less sensitive) whether the base burning rate differences are produced by oxidizer particle size variation, oxidizer/fuel ratio variation, or use of catalysts. Comparison of erosive burning predictions using the erosive burning model described herein with flow profiles expected to prevail in the test apparatus to predictions using profiles believed to exist in cylindrically-perforated motor grains indicate that erosive burning may be considerably less for a given mainstream crossflow velocity in such a motor than in the typical erosive burning test apparatus, a result quite important to extrapolation of test apparatus erosive burning data to actual motor conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA067649
Entities
People
- Merrill K. King
Organizations
- ARCO