Numerical simulation of the unsteady combustion of solid rocket propellants at a harmonic pressure change

Abstract

This study focuses on a numerical investigation of the unsteady burning rate of solid propellants at a harmonic pressure change in the combustion chamber of a solid propellant rocket engine. The physico-mathematical model includes the equations of heat transfer and decomposition of the oxidizer in the solid phase and two phases, the dual velocity, and the two-temperature reaction flow of gasification products. The boundary conditions on the solid fuel surface implement the conservation of energy fluxes and the mass of components. We numerically calculate the unsteady burning rate of metallized solid propellant and nitroglycerin powder under a harmonic pressure change in the combustion chamber of a solid propellant rocket engine and determine the dependence of the burning rate amplitude on the frequency of pressure oscillations. The amplitude of the burning rate depends nonmonotonously on the oscillation frequency. With increasing frequency, the amplitude first rises and then declines.