Combustion Mechanisms of Heterogeneous Solid Propellants
Abstract
The bulk of the research on this contract was concerned with the mechanisms that cause plateau burning of ammonium perchlorate/hydrocarbon (AP/HC) propellants. The long range goal is to identify the steps in the combustion process that dominate overall burning, and in particular to understand which of these steps in the combustion process lead to plateau burning. Burning alone, matrixes (mixture of binder, fine AP, and catalysts) almost always burn slower than the bimodal propellant at all pressures. The improved burning with a catalyst is probably due to both increased surface layer heat release and to catalytic break down of the large fuel vapor molecules which cause the flame to stand closer to the surface. Deflagration rate of the large AP particles is always lower than the propellant rate, and contributes little to overall rate, except in close proximity to the matrix where a hot stoichiometric diffusion flame occurs and (apparently) supports the marginal matrix burning, accounting for the higher propellant rate. Observations of local intermittency of burning seem to contribute to the low burning rate associated with plateaus and spontaneous quenches.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA373684
Entities
People
- E. W. Price
- J. M. Freeman
- R. Jeenu
- R. K. Sigman
- S. R. Chakravarthy
Organizations
- Georgia Tech