Characterization of Mass-Flux Based Erosive Burning of a Solid Rocket Propellant

Daniel Bennett* and Patrick Browning, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Field (Broad Category): Engineering (Physical Sciences & Engineering) 

Student’s Major: Aerospace Engineering 

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects which the mass flux inside of a solid rocket motor has on the burn rate augmentation, or erosive burning, of a propellant called Nevada AeroSpace Sciences Associates (NASSA) Yellow 1.0C. The need from this study comes from the work of the West Virginia University Experimental Rocketry team (WVUER) to improve the fidelity of their internal ballistics modeling. NASSA Yellow 1.0C was selected for this study because it is the main propellant utilized by WVUER for their motors. Currently, only the linear burn rate characteristics of the propellant without augmentation from mass flux has been successfully characterized. Through empirical testing, this study would identify, for a given chamber pressure, a threshold mass flux at which burn rate augmentation is not exhibited and identify the increase in burn rate as a function of mass flux. These results could then be used by WVUER and other amateur rocketeers to improve the accuracy of their models, increasing the reliability and safety of their motor designs. 

Funding: NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: An External Internship or Other Type of Program NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium