On the Numerical Accuracy of Homogeneous Solid Propellant Combustion Models.

Abstract

Most theoretical treatments of solid propellant combustion assume a highly idealized mechanism: an exothermic surface decomposition reaction followed by a single exothermic gas-phase reaction. Despite its conceptual simplicity this mechanism does not permit an exact solution to the conservation equations. Published combustion models addressing the stated idealization rely on various approximation schemes which have never been tested for accuracy. This report examines the numerical reliability of a number of these schemes by direct comparison of model results with accurate numerical integrations of the conservation equations. Four propellant data sets which span a wide range of kinetics parameters were utilized. None of the approximations proved accurate for all the data sets but some models are quite accurate in certain limiting cases. The calculations provide a benchmark against which future models might be tested.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA120657

Entities

People

  • Martin S. Miller
  • Terence P. Coffee

Organizations

  • Ballistic Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Burning Rate
  • Chemical Reaction Properties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Data Sets
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Exothermic Reactions
  • Heat Of Activation
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Military Research
  • Propellants
  • Pyrolysis
  • Solid Propellants
  • Surface Temperature
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Thermal Conductivity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)
  • Theoretical Analysis.