Influence of an Electric Field on the Burning Behavior of Solid Fuels and Propellants

An experimental study on the effects of an applied external electric field on the combustion behavior of solid fuels and solid propellants has been conducted. In an opposed flow burning configuration, application of an electric field was shown to extinguish a paraffin fuel and gaseous oxygen flame over a broad range of operating conditions. When subjected to the electric field, burning paraffin fuel strands were found to extinguish at various axial locations relative to the exit of the oxidizer gas jet. Extinguishment location was found to be a function of field strength as well as electrode surface area, while changes in polarity did not significantly alter the results. In addition, the combustion behaviors of two composite solid rocket propellants were studied while subjected to an external electric field. Both propellants were based on HTPB/AP combinations, with one propellant containing aluminum and the other being non‐aluminized. Application of an electric field to the composite solid rocket propellant strands demonstrated decreases in propellant burning rate under all operating conditions for both propellants including changes in polarity. The flame structure of the aluminized propellant was examined closely as the luminosity, flame length, and flame width varied significantly with field strength and burning location of the strand relative to the electrodes.     

Comparative Study on Infrared Irradiance Emitted from Standard and Real Rocket Motor Plumes

The infrared irradiance signature from exhaust plume is essential for the design of solid rocket motors. To overcome the difficulty of conducting experiments using real rocket motors, experimental studies were carried out to compare standard rocket motors and real rocket motors of the same propellant. The static firing tests on standard and real rocket motors of NEPE and HTPB propellants were conducted. Despite different rocket motor size and methodology of spectro‐radiometric measurement, the spectral characteristics of the infrared irradiance signature for both rocket motors were quite similar. The standard and real rocket motors of HTPB propellant showed similar tendency of steady infrared irradiance emission throughout the combustion, whereas both rocket motors of NEPE propellant showed a rapid emission in the midstream of combustion. The total infrared irradiance of NEPE was about 55 % less than that of HTPB propellant for both standard and real rocket motor experiments. Additionally, the relative amounts of chemical products produced during propellant combustion came out to be similar for both rocket motors. The experimental results indicated that the spectral characteristics of infrared irradiance and combustion products were quite similar for different sized rocket motors of same propellant and that a correlation of infrared irradiance signature exists between small‐sized standard rocket motors and real rocket motors. Thus, the spectral characteristics of real rocket motors could be reasonably estimated from the results of standard rocket motors.     

Overview of Physical and Chemical,Operational Properties of Nitrous Oxide Used as a Propellant for Low-thrust Rocket Engines

The results of a system analysis of the efficiency of nitrous oxide(N_2O) as a propellant component for small space vehicles(SSV) were presented. A criterion for mass efficiency of the SSV propulsion system(PS) is determined. The current global state-of-the-art of SSV PSs is shown. The application field of nitrous oxide in SSV PSs is calculated and mass efficiency of N_2O application is quantitatively determined. An overview of physical and chemical as well as operational properties of nitrous oxide as a promising, non-toxic component of rocket propellant is provided. Main physical and chemical constants of gaseous and liquid nitrous oxide; chemical properties of N_2O, thermal stability of N_2O, catalytic decomposition of N_2O, a mechanism of decomposition of N_2O, catalysts for decomposition of N_2O, ballast additives to N_2O, application of nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide as a rocket propellant, production of nitrous oxide, toxicity of nitrous oxide, fire hazard of N_2O, requirements to equipment when handling N_2O; storage and transportation of N_2O are considered. It is demonstrated that nitrous oxide is a chemical compound meeting the requirements to rocket propellants, including those related to the environmental friendliness of propellants. With 75 references.     

Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Solid Propellants in Rocket Motors by Indentation Technique

It is essential to evaluate the mechanical properties of propellants in a solid propellant rocket motor (SPRM) for structural integrity and its performance evaluation before the flight test. Conventionally, uni‐axial tensile testing on an universal testing machine (UTM) is used to evaluate the mechanical properties of solid propellant carton which is cast along with SPRM. Propellants in rocket motors experience various types of loading during storage, transportation, and environmental conditions over the period of time before actual flight whereas the propellant carton doesn’t experience the same as it is stored in magazine. At present, the mechanical properties of propellant cast in a carton are considered to be the mechanical properties of propellant in a rocket motor, which is not truly representative. Therefore, a non‐destructive indentation technique has been used to establish a method for evaluating the mechanical properties of solid propellants in rocket motors based on hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene. The test results obtained using the penetrometer indentation technique was analyzed comprehensively and compared with UTM results. The mathematical correlations were also developed using least square method and established by conducting the penetrometer indentation test on similar propellant composition. Further, the developed correlation was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of propellant in flight SPRM by penetrometer indentation technique.     

固体火箭发动机的热安全性研究

采用带源项的热传导方程,对固体火箭发动机在外界热源作用下的加热过程进行了数值模拟,分析了固体发动机内推进剂在外界热源作用下的燃烧特点,并确定了发动机产生热危险性的临界温度和起始燃烧时间。研究结果表明,在热传导方程中加入化学反应源项,可以有效地模拟发动机在外界热源作用下的加热过程;推进剂产生热危险性的临界温度为520～525K;在外界火焰作用下,发动机内的推进剂将点火燃烧,随着外界火焰温度的上升,推进剂起始燃烧的延迟时间减少。     

Smokeless GAP‐RDX Composite Rocket Propellants Containing Diaminodinitroethylene (FOX‐7)

Composite rocket propellants prepared from nitramine fillers (RDX or HMX), glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) binder and energetic plasticizers are potential substitutes for smokeless double‐base propellants in some rocket motors. In this work, we report GAP‐RDX propellants, wherein the nitramine filler has been partly or wholly replaced by 1,1‐diamino‐2,2‐dinitroethylene (FOX‐7). These smokeless propellants, containing 60% energetic solids and 15% N‐butyl‐2‐nitratoethylnitramine (BuNENA) energetic plasticizer, exhibited markedly reduced shock sensitivity with increasing content of FOX‐7. Conversely, addition of FOX‐7 reduced the thermochemical performance of the propellants, and samples without nitramine underwent unsteady combustion at lower pressures (no burn rate catalyst was added). The mechanical characteristics were quite modest for all propellant samples, and binder‐filler interactions improved slightly with increasing content of FOX‐7. Overall, FOX‐7 remains an attractive, but less than ideal, substitute for nitramines in smokeless GAP propellants.     

卫星推进剂技术发展趋势概述

概述了用于卫星的多种推进剂技术,包括传统的常规化学推进剂技术,以及新近应用的“绿色”化学推进剂技术、胶体推进剂技术和在电推进、微推进中使用的推进剂技术等。指出卫星用推进剂正呈现出低成本、无毒化、高能量的发展趋势。     

Investigation of the Burning Behavior of Cryogenic Solid Propellants

Cryogenic Solid Propellant (CSP)‐technology is a new approach to develop more powerful rocket motors. CSPs include the advantages of classical solid propellants to save weight as well as those of a high energy content and safety of modern liquid propellants. The charges consist of liquid and/or gaseous fuels and oxidizers, both frozen. Two main versions of CSP‐technology can be realised: 1. Mono‐CSPs show the burning behavior of solid propellants. Experiments with mono‐CSPs have been carried out under inert pressure conditions in a window bomb. Mono‐CSPs have a stable burning behavior with a constant regression rate which follows the Vieille's law under varying pressure conditions. 2. The advantage of high safety is obtained by assembling oxidizer and fuel in sandwich configurations. The grain geometry governs the burning behavior. Such systems can be externally controlled, e.g. by the heat from a gas generator or they can work self‐sustained. A Rod‐in‐Matrix burner shows self‐sustained combustion in an inert pressure atmosphere with overall burning rates in a similar range as solid rocket propellants which obey also a Vieille‐like pressure law. Disc stack burners have also been investigated, the combustion of which is strongly dependent on the disc thickness. For a short time Mach's nodes have been observed in the exhaust plume of a disc stack burner. Currently, the temperature ranges are limited to the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen. Therefore, liquid oxidizers like H₂O₂ have been used. However, for the first time a propellant strand of polymer rods embedded in solid oxygen was prepared and burnt. The experiments with CSPs end in the combustion of a small rocket motor showing no serious technical obstacles. Simplified models based on the heat flow equation can simulate the burning characteristics of the frozen energetic materials including phase transitions.     

报废固体推进剂的降感技术

为了清理火箭发动机内报废的推进剂,采用萃取法对含能组分进行降感处理,研究了萃取剂质量浓度对萃取效果及含能组分溶解度的影响,最后对萃取液中含能组分采用蒸馏方法进行回收。结果表明,从报废复合固体推进剂中萃取出AP后,推进剂的撞击感度、摩擦感度降低60%,推进剂本体发生裂解、失强,有利于发动机内报废推进剂的安全销毁,优选出最优萃取剂为T J-3,AP组分的回收利用使推进剂中大量氧化剂得以回收,有利于环保。     

彩涂胶辊用聚氨酯弹性体的研制

合成了一种彩涂胶辊用聚氨酯弹性体材料,考察了聚酯多元醇、异氰酸酯、扩链剂、催化剂、操作工艺等因素对材料性能的影响。所制聚氨酯弹性体具有较高的力学性能、良好的耐溶剂性能、较好的切削加工性和较长的使用寿命。     

推进剂药粒干燥过程的安全性分析

分析了推进剂药粒在干燥过程中发生热分解、燃烧或热爆炸的起因。通过比较几种典型干燥方法,了解其干燥过程的优缺点。根据推进剂干燥过程中所发生的物理化学变化,讨论了干燥过程中硝化甘油蒸发及推进剂热分解、燃烧或热爆炸的机理。通过烘箱法模拟热分解,找到了发生热分解、燃烧或热爆炸的时间和温度点。最后分析了推进剂药粒在干燥过程中的危险性。     

Ballistic Modification of Nitramine Propellants with Special Reference to NG‐PE‐PCP‐Based High Energy Propellants

The burning rate pressure relationship is one of the important criteria in the selection of the propellant for particular applications. The pressure exponent (η) plays a significant role in the internal ballistics of rocket motors. Nitramines are known to produce lower burning rates and higher pressure exponent (η) values. Studies on the burning rate and combustion behavior of advanced high‐energy NG/PE‐PCP/AP/Al‐ and NG/PE‐PCP/HMX/AP/Al‐based solid rocket propellants processed by a conventional slurry cast route were carried out. The objective of present study was to understand the effectiveness of various ballistic modifiers viz. iron oxide, copper chromite, lead/copper oxides, and lead salts in combination with carbon black as a catalyst on the burning rate and pressure exponent of these high‐energy propellants. A 7–9 % increase in the burning rates and almost no effect in pressure exponent values of propellant compositions without nitramine were observed. However, in case of nitramine‐based propellants as compared to propellant compositions without nitramines, slight increases of the burning rates were observed. By incorporation of ballistic modifiers, the pressure exponents can be lowered. The changes in the calorimetric values of the formulations by addition of the catalysts were also studied.     

Infrared Irradiance Reduction in Minimum Smoke Propellants by Addition of Potassium Salt

One of the plume characteristics of minimum smoke propellant is the infrared (IR) radiation signature, which may be useful for detection of rocket. The IR irradiance is known to be reduced by afterburning suppression in rocket plume by addition of potassium salt in propellant. The minimum smoke propellant with nitrate ester polyether (NEPE) binder system and nitramine oxidizers was researched for the afterburning and IR irradiance difference according to the content of potassium salt as afterburning suppressant in propellant formulation. The propellants were formulated to satisfy the level of AGARD smoke class AA and potassium sulfate was selected as afterburning inhibitor suitable for NEPE propellant. The afterburning flame length and mid‐range IR intensity were measured, while conducting static firing tests of 6 inch (15.24 cm) standard rocket motors loaded with minimum smoke propellants of the different contents of potassium sulfate. The total IR irradiance of HMX/RDX propellant with 1.1 % potassium sulfate was reduced to about 23 % compared to the propellant without afterburning suppressant due to the inhibition of afterburning. Also, the total IR irradiance of the HNIW (30 %)/RDX propellant was found to be almost three times more than that of the HMX/RDX propellant although the content of potassium sulfate was the same of 1.1 % in both propellants.     

High-energy-density gelled fuels with high stability and shear thinning performance

Gelled fuels are the very promising propellants for new-generation rocket and ramjet propulsion. Here we report a new type of low-molecular mass organic gellant (Z), and prepared four kinds of stable gelled fuels based on HD-01, HD-03, RP-3 and QC liquid fuels, with the critical gellant concentration less than 1% (mass). The characterizations show that the gellant can form 3D network structure, via hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and van der Waals forces, to fix fuel molecules during the formation of gelled fuels. So, the gelled fuels show high stability, with the remaining gel mass of 0.25% (mass) Z/HD-01 more than 90% even at high centrifugal speed of 7500 r·min^-1, but the rheological property test shows that all gelled fuels have obvious shear thinning property, which benefits its storage in gelled state while supply in liquid state. The gelation of liquid fuels by gellant Z can increase the volumetric net heat of combustion (for HD-01, it increases from 39.58 MJ·L^-1 to 40.76 MJ·L^-1 with 1% (mass) Z), and liquefied gelled fuels show the comparable ignition delay time with the pristine liquid fuels. So, the gelled fuels made by gellant Z have better stability, shear thinning and combustion performances, which have great potential for the practical application.     

Correlation of parameters in the burning rate law and its influence on intraballistic characteristics of a rocket motor

Experimental data demonstrating the correlation of parameters in the power-law dependence of the burning rate of composite solid propellants on pressure are reported. The reasons for changes in the burning rate due to changes in propellant mixing conditions are discussed. The deviation of the pressure in the combustor of a solid-propellant rocket motor is analyzed with due allowance for the correlation of parameters in the burning rate law. It is shown that the relative deviation of the burning rate depends on pressure at which propellant combustion occurs. Moreover, for each propellant, there exists a pressure level at which the burning rate deviation is theoretically equal to zero, regardless of the differences in propellant compositions and properties.     

Hydrogenated Hydroxy-Terminated Polyisoprene as a Fuel Binder for composite solid propellants

The synthesis and application of hydrogenated hydroxy-terminated polyisoprene (HHTPI) to a fuel binder of composite solid propellants were attempted. An HHTPI prepolymer was synthesized through the hydrogenation for the hydroxy-terminated polyisoprene (HTPI) in the presence of nickel and zirconium catalysts over kieselguhr in 2.0 MPa hydrogen and at 443 K – 453 K for 24h. A prepolymer of a number-averaged molecular weight 2500–3800, provided a viscosity level required for the use of a fuel binder from which solid propellant can be possibly made by means of direct casting method. Thermal stability and aging characteristics of HHTPI elastomer against environmental attacks are superior to those of HTPB. Some plasticizers and bonding agents can bring about the acceptable mechanical properties to the propellant grains mainly composed of HHTPI, ammonium perchlorate and aluminium powder. The linear burning rates of HHTPI-based propellants are at the same level with that of HTPB-based propellants. However, the composition that gives the maximum performance with HHTPI-based propellants, shifts to 1–2 wt% fuel-rich side from the most adequate fuel content 12 wt% in HTPB/AP/Al. The HHPTI propellants indicated the similar burning rate as HTPB-based propellants in the linear burning rates in spite of the comparatively poor ignitability. Nevertheless, the static tests of 100 mm dia. sounding rocket motors are successfully performed by an ignition operation at the pressurized condition. The ballistic performances are not inferior to those of the HTPB-based propellants.     

Effects of an Organic‐inorganic Nanocomposite Additive on the Combustion and Erosion Performance of High Energy Propellants Containing RDX

A nanocomposite microsphere consisting of solid paraffin, nano‐TiO₂, nano‐BN, zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 particles and polymethyl methacrylate was prepared and applied as a functional additive for high energy propellants (with about 23 wt % RDX) to reduce the barrel erosion and improve its combustion performance as well. High energy propellants modified with the nanocomposite were manufactured by a solvent extrusion technique. According to the scanning electron microscope and differential scanning calorimetry results, there exists a good compatibility between the nanocomposite and propellant matrix. The energy and combustion performance as well as erosion of the modified propellants were studied by a closed bomb test and an erosion tube device, respectively. Results showed that compared with the unmodified propellant, both the erosion and energy performance of modified high energy propellant gradually decreased with the increase of nanocomposites contents. When the content of nanocomposites was 5.1 %, the erosion mass of the modified propellant reduced to 37.0 % while the propellant force only decreased 5.7 %, indicating that the nanocomposite has enormous ability to improve gun erosion resistance while barely affect energy performance of propellant. Furthermore, the closed bomb burning curves of the samples showed that addition of nanocomposites to propellant matrix could prolong the combustion time, efficiently inhibit the initial generation rate of combustion gas, and further achieve the progressive burning of the propellants.     

Pressure control in a semi-closed volume upon combustion of solid propellants with an exponent in the combustion law greater than unity

The problem of pressure control in a semi-closed volume by changing the critical cross-sectional area of a gas-release channel is considered upon solid-propellant combustion with the pressure, the combustion rate, and the free volume varied over a wide range (not smaller than one order of magnitude). For a system of automatic pressure control, a control algorithm is chosen and the conditions of partial parametric invariance with respect to the variable dynamic properties of the object to be controlled are formulated. The experimental results obtained upon improvement of the control system for solid rocket propellants whose exponent in the combustion law is greater than unity are given. The reasons for substantially nonstationary modes of operation of this system are considered, and a simplified model that approximates the phenomena of nonstationary combustion of a solid rocket propellant is proposed. The model is identified and the results of mathematical modeling are given. Recommendations on pressure control in the nonstationary modes of operation are given. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 45–56, September–October, 2000.     

炮射导弹发射药燃烧表象规律

首先对炮射导弹的发射特点进行了分析,认为炮射导弹发射药的特殊性在于燃烧压力介于固体推进剂和常规固体发射药之间;针对炮射导弹发射过程中小于100MPa的压力范围,采用密闭爆发器在相应的压力条件下对其燃烧特性进行测试与评价,并与常规枪炮发射药的测试结果进行比较,认为两者之间具有不同的特征表现,对新型炮射导弹发射药的装药设计具有指导意义。