State-Of-The-Art, Time-Resolved Shock Tube/Laser Experiments To Study Pyrolysis and Burning Of Energetic Materials and Propellants
Abstract
Energetic materials and propellants (EMs) such as HTPB/RDX/HMX are of paramountimportance to the Navys warheads, hypersonic systems, rockets/missiles, and other propulsive systems. EMs must be adaptable in size to fit a family of delivery systems, contain sufficient energy to defeat the target, have the capability to fly further and faster while being insensitive munition compliant and affordable. Comprehensive and detailed combustion kinetic models are essential to understand and control the high temperature (600-3000 K) burning behavior of EMs. Such a model includes reactants and products involved in EMs decomposition, reaction rates, and reaction pathways, which are both temperature (T) and pressure (P) dependent. Unfortunately, the current models lack accuracy at the conditions of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD), mainly due to a crucial lack of reliable and relevant experimental data for their validation. It isessential to know the initial fuel breakdown steps and which products are formed from thepropellant at the timescales of burning (~micro to milliseconds). The nature of energy release processes and subsequent reactions could lead to either stable operation or unstable behavior (explosions). Although existing studies have helped in improving our understanding of EMs burning, ergy conversion processes. The proposed effort seeks to gain an unprecedented measurement of reaction kinetics, species concentrations, and temperature profiles during EMs reactions to assess the validity of current models and create newones. The PI will train his students to apply time-resolved, mid-infrared (MIR) laser absorption spectroscopy for probing high-temperature, gas-phase chemical kinetics and pathways of EMs using shock tubes that cover temperatures of 600-4000K and pressures of 1-20 atm. The combination of shock-heating and non-intrusive laser detection provides a state-of-the-art test platform for high-temperature kinetics of EMs. The PI will closely engage collaborators from 2 different Navy centers, Naval Research Lab (NRL, D.C.) and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons (NAWC, China Lake, CA), to ensure that the work performed is complementary to ongoing lab activities and that results are immediately transitioned to ONRs Energetic Materials and otherDoD programs. The results from this work will provide new knowledge that may be exploited to develop and deliver new materials and technologies that contribute to enhanced lethal effects at the system level as well as increased range and a smaller payload. The research will enhance student training capabilities at the University of Central Florida, one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions in the country with more than 70,000 students, in characterizing explosives and propellants performance for weapons and propulsion systems. The inherently interdisciplinarynature of the PIs activities spanning mechanical and aerospace engineering, spectroscopy, chemistry, and optics will provide involved students with ample opportunities to develop, broaden, and refine their technical, organizational, and communication skills. With a proud record of student mentoring and training through research, the PI will employ proven strategies from his experience to engage students in this project. Previous efforts from his lab have facilitated 12 Ph.D. dissertations, 12 M.S. thesis, and more than 70 undergraduate researchers, with many employedby the DoD (including Navy labs). It is anticipated that the current 3-year project will directly contribute to 2 Ph.D. dissertations and 6 undergraduate honors theses and provide a future DoD workforce pipeline.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112730
Entities
People
- Subith Vasu Sumathi
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Central Florida Board of Trustees