Propellant combustion

T. L. Boggs in K. K. Kus and M. Summerfield, eds.. Fundamentals of Solid-Propellant Combustion, Progress in Pistronautics andPieronautics, Vol. 90, AIAA,... 

Boggs, J.L. Prentice, K.J. Kraeutle J.E. Crump, The Role of the Scanning Electron Microscope in the Study of Solid Propellant Combustion , inavwepsceiiu ir h/zo yiyoy) do) u,u, Graber, F.C. Rauch A.J. Fanelli, Observation of Solid-Solid Polymorphic Transformation in 2,4,6-Trinitro Toluene , JPhChem 73, (10), 3514—15 (1969) 39) J.E. Crump, J.L. Prentice K.J. Kraeutle Role of Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Study of Solid Propellant Combustion. Part 11—Behavior of Metal Additives , NavWepsCentr TP-5142-PT-2 (1969) 40) J.A. Markham A.R. Cox, Applications... 

Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Study of Solid Propellant Combustion. Part 111. The Surface Structure and Profile Characteristics of Burning Composite Solid Propellants , NavWeps-Cent r TP 5142-Part 3 (1971) 48) B.T. 

L) J.W. Schaefer et al, Study of Reactions of Solid Propellant Combustion Products With Pyrolytic Graphite, Vol II , AFRPL-TR-68-116-Vol-2, Contract F0461-67-C-0047, Atlantic Res Corp, Alexandria (1968) M) D.E. Sikhia, RF and IR Signature Simulation Investigation , Rept No OR-9718, Contract F08635-68-C-0014, Martin Marietta Corp, Orlando (1968)... 

W.C. Strahle J.C. Handley, Synergistic Effects and Deflagration Analysis In Composite Solid Propellant Combustion , Final Report, Contract N00014-75-C-0332... 

In addition to the energy requirements of solid propellants, Eq. (3) shows that consideration must be given to the mass-flow rate of the combustion products through the nozzle. Because all solids burn on the exposed surface, the mass flow of propellant combustion products is given by the equation... 

From these many considerations, the propellant formulator is often faced with preparing a propellant with rather precise 7sp and burning-rate characteristics. As a result, there is considerable interest in understanding the basic propellant combustion and ignition processes and in developing the capability to prepare from theory propellants with the desired burning-rate and 7sp characteristics. 

During the third phase, the motor chamber continues to fill with propellant combustion products until the steady-state pressure has been reached. The chamber-pressure transient during this phase is described by... 

The above considerations, as applied to nonreactive and/or reactive igniter systems, have not been adjusted for the perturbing effect of the addition of propellant combustion products during the propagation period. This... 

During flame propagation, a constantly increasing amount of propellant combustion products is added to the igniter products, thereby producing a constantly increasing mass velocity of total gas. As a first approximation to the real situation, the following expression has been used in the theoretical analysis to account for this effect ... 

The prediction of burning-rate characteristics, on the other hand, has not been possible. This has caused rocket designers to adopt a trial-and-error approach to the development of specific propellants to meet specific mission requirements. In an effort to reduce the large development effort required for each new propulsion system, considerable basic research effort has been directed toward the definition and quantitative characterization of propellant combustion mechanisms. The ultimate objective of this effort is to provide methods for predicting the burning-rate characteristics of particular propellant formulations. 

Since an understanding of the combustion characteristics of composite propellants requires information on the chemical behavior of the individual oxidizer and fuel, a discussion of these areas is presented as a prelude to the discussion of propellant combustion. 

The basic approach taken in the analytical studies of composite-propellant combustion represents a modification of the studies of double-base propellants. For composite propellants, it has been assumed that the solid fuel and solid oxidizer decompose at the solid surface to yield gaseous fuel and oxidizing species. These gaseous species then intermix and react in the gas phase to yield the final products of combustion and to establish the flame temperature. Part of the gas-phase heat release is then transferred back to the solid phase to sustain the decomposition processes. The temperature profile is assumed to be similar to the situation associated with double-base combustion, and, in this sense, combustion is identical in the two different types of propellants. 

Research studies over the past several years have shown that least three possible methods exist for terminating propellant combustion—rapid depressurization of the combustion chamber, the L method, and rapid injection of a vaporizable fluid. Each of these methods initiates pressure and temperature disturbances within the combustion zone which disrupt the balance between the rate of heat generation by chemical reactions and the rate of heat loss. If the disturbances cause the heat loss to exceed the heat input, combustion will be extinguished. These three methods for achieving termination merely differ in the mechanism by which the pressure and temperature disturbances are created. 

P5. Povinelli, L. A., and Ciepluch, C. C., Surface phenomena in solid propellant combustion, presented at JANAFjARPAjNASA Solid-Propellant Group Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1962. 

E. W. Price, Effect of multidimensional flamelets in composite propellant combustion, /. Propulsion Power 11 717-728,1995. 

AIAA Inc., New York, 1984, p. 177. Fundamentals of Solid Propellant Combustion. 

Chemical Kinetic Data Base for Propellant Combustion I. Reactions Involving NO, N02, HNO, HN02, HCN, and N20, Tsang, W and Herron,... 

Gindhar, H. L., and A. J. Arora. 1977. Ignition delay of composite solid propellants. Combustion Flame 28 109-11. 

Specific impulse is a parameter used to describe the energy efficiency of propellant combustion, which is represented by... 

The effective work done by a gun propellant is the pressure force that acts on the base of the projectile. Thus, the work done by propellant combustion is expressed in terms of the thermodynamic energy, f, which is represented by... 

The thermal energy generated by propellant combustion is distributed to various non-effective energies.The energy losses of a caliber gun are approximately as follows ... 

Kubota, N., Survey of Rocket Propellants and Their Combustion Characteristics , fundamentals of Solid-Propellant Combustion (Eds. Kuo, K. K., Summer-field, M.), Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 90, Chapter 1, AlAA, Washington DC (1984). 

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