Effect of Energetic Particles on Graphite Nozzle Erosion in Hybrid Rocket Motor
Abstract
A hybrid rocket motor represents a compromise between a solid rocket and a liquid rocket motor. It offers throttling capability, increased safety, moderate cost, in addition to its benign environmental impact. However, a low regression rate is a major drawback of hybrid rocket performance. This collaborative research work from various institutions is investigating the fuel regression rate and the effect on graphite nozzle erosion in static firing using paraffin wax solid fuel doped with energetic additive, high-entropy alloys (HEA) nanoparticles. HEA nanoparticles which are composed of aluminum, boron, iron, cobalt, nickel, and silicon are believed to increase the specific impulse, density specific impulse, and regression rate of the solid fuel. The presence of the nanoparticles will produce high radiative heat transfer to the molten layer on the solid fuel that will enhance the evaporation process and at the same time will increase the combustion efficiency. While fuel additives will improve the burning characteristics of the fuel, it is not clear what effect they will have on the integrity of the nozzle throat, which is typically carbon-based and prone to thermochemical erosion and gouging. An analytical model is formed and used to develop an informed empirical formula for experimental correlations. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is applied to model the regression process in hybrid rocket motors by using ANSYS FLUENT. Based on this model, experimental static firing on a solid fuel/GOX hybrid motor will be conducted in the flow control process with different operating conditions and features; graphite nozzle expansion ratios, equivalence ratios, and energetic additives doping concentrations. The static firing will observe the regression rate enhancement as well as the nozzle erosion rate. The outcome of this research is to establish both regression rate and nozzle erosion correlations of solid fuel doped with energetic additives in a hybrid rocket motor.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA23862114011XX0
Entities
People
- Muhammad Hanafi Azami
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- International Islamic University Malaysia
- United States Air Force