Combustion of Nitramine Propellants
Abstract
The objective of this study is to improve the physical understanding of cyclic nitramine (RDX, HMX) combustion, through development of a comprehensive analytical model. The ultimate goals are to enable prediction of deflagration rate over a wide pressure range (7-70 MPa), its pressure and temperature sensitivities, and indicate effective means by which the burning rate can be modified or tailored. The analysis is divided into 2 major parts: (1) critical review of existing nitramine combustion models, in particular, the Beckstead-Derr-Price (BDP) approach. Particular deficiencies in this analysis were pointed out, and an improved approximate model was derived; simulation of available HMX (and AP) burn rate data were performed with both models for comparison. Although the latter model is clearly superior in burn rate prediction, both simple models fail in correlating existing temperature- sensitivity data. (2) In the second part, a comprehensive deflagration model is derived, incorporating the following elements: nonequilibrium evaporation law at the melt/gas interface, serving as an auxiliary condition to enable independent burn rate prediction; improved melt phase model including decomposition-gas bubbles; model for far-field processes, with several simultaneous secondary reactions. Results from the bubbly-melt phase integration are shown. The solutions show that for given (m, Ts) data, the extent of subsurface decomposition decreases appreciably, while the heat feedback to the surface increases, relative to the results of the model excluding bubbles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA126668
Entities
People
- Martin Summerfield
- Moshe Ben-reuven