Effect of the thermophysical properties of the material of a local energy source on conditions and characteristics of ignition of metallized composite propellants

Abstract

Solid-phase ignition of metallized composite propellants by a single particle heated to a high temperature under conditions of an ideal thermal contact has been numerically studied. The effect of the thermophysical properties of the material of a local energy source on the conditions and characteristics of ignition of composite propellants has been analyzed. It has been found that sources with a high heat storage capacity exhibit shorter ignition delay times for metallized propellants (by 10–60%) and lower initial temperatures required to initiate the combustion process (by 170 K). In addition, it has been found that the presence of particles of metals (boron, aluminum, magnesium, lithium) in the propellant composition leads to an increase in the effective thermal conductivity of the propellant. The cumulative effect of the thermophysical properties of the materials of the “particle heated to a high temperature–metallized composite propellant” system leads to an increase in the ignition delay times (by 25–65%) and the heat penetration depth of the near-surface layer of the propellant (by 25–40%) at the time of combustion initiation compared with metal-free compounds.