Combustion Processes of Propellants with Embedded Metal Wires

Abstract

Research was made with double-base propellants with embedded metal wires to understand how the burning rate changes along the silver wire and to obtain what factors control the burning rate of the propellants. The burning rate along the wire is influenced greatly by the kind of metal wire, wire size, and propellant compositions. With double-base propellants having varied burning characteristics, burning rate along the silver wire was measured and the effects of the luminous flame, dark zone, and the fizz zone were studied. By means of microthermocouples, the temperature profiles in the propellant near the silver wire were measured. Based on the test results, it was clear that the factors which control the burning rate along the silver wire are the temperature gradient in the fizz zone and the temperature in the dark zone. The luminous flame zone that stands above the burning surface affects neither the burning rate of the propellant nor the burning rate along the silver wire.