Study of a new pasty propellant multi-purpose rocket motor

Abstract

A new method for pulse rocket motor designing is proposed in this paper, on basis of analyzing flow, heat transfer, ignition, combustion and extinction of a kind of nonNewtonian pasty propellant, in which oxidizer and fuel are mixed homogeneously. The new motor is of the advantage of solid propellant rocket motor and liquid propellant rocket motor both. This kind of pulse rocket motor is also thrust adjustable. Moreover, because propellant is ignited by combustion chamber surplus heat, no additional ignition energy is needed. The key technology of this new method is the designing of the re-ignitable igniter. A 2D flow and heat transfer model of propellant inside the reignitable igniter is established, control equations are solved numerically. Temperature distribution of propellant inside re-ignitable igniter during its flow to combustion chamber is obtained, in conjunction with a simple ignition criterion. Relationship among igniter temperature, igniter length, igniter diameter and drive pressure are also obtained. A set of prototype test apparatus is also built for multi-pulse firing. Some seven operation pulses are obtained, each lasts about five seconds, time interval among each pulse is about two second. * Associate Professor, The Fourth Academy of China Aerospace Corporation. ALAA member. + Professor and President, The Fourth Academy of China Aerospace Corporation. Copyright © 1998 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. Nomenclature A section area of the tube k consistency coefficient L length of igniter tube P drive pressure m mass n propellant flow exponent Q propellant flow mass rate R radius of igniter tube r propellant burning rate T temperature Tig propellant ignition temperature t time tid ignition delay time tf propellant flow time u velocity x, y Catherine coordinate P propellant density /I heat conduct coefficient T shear stress T] propellant viscous coefficient u dynamic viscous coefficient