Abstract
An advanced stress analysis technique has been developed for evaluating propellant fracture in solid-rocket motors subjected to thermal cooling. When a strain-to-pseudostrain transformation is performed, it is shown that the time- and temperature-dependent relaxation of the solid propellant can be taken into account to yield a nonlinear elastic material model. This material model can be used in a finite element analysis of a solid-rocket motor grain to quantify the driving force for quasi-static crack propagation under a variety of thermal loads by using elastic-plastic fracture mechanics. The analysis technique was assessed by subjecting analog rocket motors instrumented with miniature bond-stress sensors to a sequence of quasi-isothermal temperatures. The data measured by the sensors allowed the stress predictions to be verified and the crack length and fracture resistance of the propellant to be deduced. It is hypothesized that compatibility must be maintained between the crack tip constraint conditions in the fracture specimen used to characterize a propellant and the crack tip constraint conditions in the structure being analyzed to use this analysis technique in a predictive manner.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
