Flow-Structural Interaction in Solid Rocket Motors
Abstract
This paper reviews and summarizes recent work on flow-structural interaction in solid rocket motors. This interaction between bore flow and propellant grain is important because it can lead to rocket motor failure. In the first part of the paper, an idealized model of the failure mechanism is developed to illustrate in simple terms how such an event can occur. In the second part of the paper, recently published numerical modeling work, which models flow-structural interactions in some detail, is summarized. The static test failure of the Titan solid rocket motor upgrade (SRMU) that occurred on 1 April, 1991, demonstrated the importance of flow-structural modeling in the design of large, solid rocket motors. The model developed in this paper was applied to the Titan SRMU failure to assess its validity and was found to produce reasonable and conservative predictions of the failure. There were two consequences of the failure of the Titan SRMU. The first was an extensive effort to model and understand the failure so that a recurrence could be prevented. Subsequent to this, other large motors were analyzed to make sure there was no chance of a grain failure. Some of these analyses were done before the motors were flown, as in the case of the Ariane V, and some were carried out for motors already flying successfully, such as the Titan 7-segment solid rocket motor. The results of these efforts also are provided. (12 figures, 17 refs.)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA425145
Entities
People
- John W. Murdock
- William A. Johnston
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation