Nonsteady Burning and Combustion Stability of Solid Propellants

895 Pages·1992·41.339 MB·English

by  Luigi De Luca, Edward W. Price, Martin Summerfield

Nonsteady Burning
and
Combustion Stability
of
Solid Propellents
Edited by
Luigi De Luca
Politecnico di Milano
Milan, Italy
Edward W. Price
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia
Martin Summerfield
Princeton Combustion Research Laboratories, Inc.
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Volume 143
PROGRESS IN
ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS
A. Richard Seebass, Editor-in-Chief
University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.,
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, DC, 20024-2518
Copyright © 1992 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. Printed
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ISSN 0079-6050
Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics
Editor-in-Chief
A. Richard Seebass
University of Colorado at Boulder
Editorial Board
Richard G. Bradley Reid R. June
General Dynamics Boeing Military Airplane Company
John R. Casani John L. Junkins
California Institute of Technology Texas A&M University
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
John E. Keigler
General Electric Company
Alien E. Fuhs Astro-Space Division
Carmel, California
Daniel P. Raymer
George J. Gleghorn Lockheed Aeronautical Systems
TR W Space Company
and Technology Group
Martin Summerfield
Princeton Combustion Research
Dale B. Henderson
Laboratories, Inc.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Charles E. Treanor
Carolyn L. Huntoon Arvin/Calspan
NASA Johnson Space Center Advanced Technology Center
Jeanne Godette
Series Managing Editor
AIAA
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Preface
This book is meant to be a follow-up and an extension of an earlier book,
Fundamentals of Solid Propellant Combustion, which was edited by Ken-
neth K. Kuo and Martin Summerfield and published by AIAA in 1984 as
Volume 90 in this series, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics. Whereas
the emphasis of Volume 90 was mainly on chemistry and steady-state
burning of solid propellants, the unifying theme of the present book is
nonsteady burning and stability. Virtually all relevant aspects are covered,
except those already fully treated in the previous volume.
The general comments made in Volume 90 about References, objectives,
and scope of the work are valid here too. In particular, this book is also
the result of the coordinated efforts of several of the most distinguished
international scientists in the area of solid propellant combustion. The
contributions from many countries reflect growing interest and research
during the last two decades and growing cooperation on the international
scene, a circumstance that makes the compilation of this volume particu-
larly timely. For the first time in an English language publication, a full
and highly qualified exposure is given of Russian experiments and theories.
This provides a window into an ongoing controversy over rather different
approaches used in Russia and the West for analytical representation of
transient burning. The results show that the two approaches give rather
similar results under the classical assumptions of one-dimensional behavior
and thin combustion zone. The relevance to propellants with extended gas-
phase combustion remains to be determined.
This book tries to combine state-of-the-art knowledge with a tutorial pre-
sentation of the topics. The detailed analyses of intrinsic combustion stability
of solid propellants and stability of solid rocket motors or burners reported
in this book are not easily found elsewhere. In addition, modern topics,
ranging from new propellant formulation to nonintrusive diagnostic tech-
niques, are fully discussed. The life-long personal recollection by one of the
editors, Edward W. Price, provides a good historical background to many of
the technical topics treated in the book. Thus, this volume can be used as a
textbook for students or reference for engineers and scientists involved in
solid propellant systems for propulsion, gas generation, safety, etc.
Several outstanding books have been published in the areas of solid
propellant combustion and rocket propulsion. These include the first vol-
ume in the Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics series, entitled Solid
Propellant Rocket Research, edited by Martin Summerfield in 1960; Solid
Propellant Rockets, by C. Huggett et al., published by Princeton University
Press in 1960; Rocket Propulsion, edited by M. Barrere et al., published
by Elsevier Publishing Company in 1960; an AGARDograph entitled "Fun-
damental Aspects of Solid Propellant Rockets," by Williams et al., pub-
lished in 1969; and Nonstationary Burning of Solid Rocket Fuels, by B. V.
Novozhilov, published by Nauka in 1973. Moreover, George Sutton has
presented five editions of Rocket Propulsion Elements, published by John
Wiley & Sons from 1949 through 1986. All of these books constitute an
excellent technical and historical background for both Volume 90 and the
present volume of Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics.
The flavor of the present book will be better illustrated by a cursory
look at its contents. A personal recollection of combustion instability his-
tory in solid rocket motors is presented by E. W. Price in Chapter 1, and
the following four chapters provide the pertinent theoretical (Chapter 2
by M. Barrere} and experimental (Chapters 3-5) background for attacking
the problem of transient burning. The experimental steady-state burning-
rate data discussed in Chapter 3 by K. Klager and G. A. Zimmerman
should correctly be predicted by, or be the starting point of, any well-
posed transient burning theory. The experimental steady-state temperature
sensitivity data discussed in Chapter 4 by N. Kubota allow a critical com-
parison of the Russian and Western approaches to transient burning and
combustion stability; whereas the Russian approach needs those data, the
Western approach can predict them. The thermophysical and other data
discussed in Chapter 5 by C. Zanotti et al. form a badly needed data base
for any quantitative development in the area of solid propellant combus-
tion.
The experimental flame structures of traditional and innovative solid
propellant formulations are respectively treated in Chapter 6 by A. A.
Zenin and Chapter 7 by N. Kubota', this information is essential for all
flame modeling developments. Since standard intrusive diagnostic tech-
niques are instrinsically limited in their scope, advanced nonintrusive tech-
niques are required to probe the hostile flame environments; these and
their present applications are surveyed in Chapter 8 by T. Parr and D.
Hanson-Parr.
The following five chapters (Chapters 9-13) discuss, mainly on an ex-
perimental basis, different areas in which transient burning and combustion
stability of solid propellants play a prominent role. Chapter 9 by E. W.'
Price offers a review of the classical L* instability; Chapter 10 by V. E.
Zarko et al. treats several aspects of radiation-driven transient burning;
Chapter 11 by C. Zanotti et al. deals with oscillatory burning of solid
propellants due to intrinsic instability; Chapter 12 by C. F. Price and
T. L. Boggs underlines the relevance of transient burning in the important
problem of deflagration-to-detonation transition; and Chapter 13 by K. K.
Kuo and D. E. Kooker discusses the coupling between transient burning
and structural mechanics of solid propellants.
The next three chapters (Chapters 14-16) examine transient burning
and combustion stability from a theoretical viewpoint. Chapter 14 by L.
De Luca offers a review of the problem in terms of flame models, the
approach mainly developed in the Western countries. Chapter 15 by B. V.
Novozhilov offers a review of the problem in terms of the Zeldovich-
Novozhilov approach independently developed in Russia. Chapter 16 by
L. Galfetti et al. gives an overview of trends and bounds of transient burning
by numerical means.
The following four chapters (Chapters 17-20) consider application of
the knowledge collected up to this point to solid propellant rocket motors.
Chapter 17 by L. D. Strand and R. S. Brown gives a review of the current
laboratory test methods which assess the stability properties of solid pro-
pellants before firing a rocket motor. Chapter 18 by F. E. C. Culick and
V. Yang describes the current theoretical methods to predict stability of
rocket motors. Chapter 19 by H. B. Mathes discusses real world applica-
tions of the theoretical approach. Should experimental tests reveal insta-
bility, Chapter 20 by K. Ramohalli offers a panoply of techniques for help
in desperate cases.
The final chapter, Chapter 21 by E. W. Price and G. Flandro, sums up
the situation and describes possible future developments. It is regretted
that a full coverage of the important problem of deflagration-to-detonation
transition has not been possible.
An effort was made to keep Nomenclature as uniform as possible
throughout the book. Although this was not always possible due to the
different backgrounds of the various authors and the variety of physical
situations under study, quite a lot was accomplished.
Finally, in preparation of a book of such wide scope, many new friend-
ships were made and some old ones put to the test. There were rewards,
and also frustrations, especially in the task of timely assemblage of the
many contributions. The patient and time-consuming work of the chapter
authors and of the following reviewers is acknowledged: M. W. Beckstead,
F. Blomshield, T. L. Boggs, R. S. Brown, R. S. Bruenner, U. Carretta,
A. Coghe, F. E. C. Culick, J. T. Edwards, B. S. Ermalaev, C. E. Hermance,
K. Klager, H. Krier, N. Kubota, P. Kuentzmann, G. Lengelle, H. B. Mathes,
M. S. Miller, D. E. Netzer, B. V. Novozhilov, C. F. Price, Q. Quarteroni,
P. S. Silber, W. A. Sirignano, A. A. Sulimov, L. D. Strand, J. S. T'ien,
J. S. Whitelaw, and A. A. Zenin. Also acknowledged is the support of
unnamed agencies who were the sponsors for all those authors and reviewers.
The cooperative assistance of the AIAA staff, in particular of Jeanne
Godette and Amy Hoeksema of the Editorial Department in Washington,
is gratefully acknowledged.
Luigi De Luca
Edward W. Price
Martin Summerfield
May 1992
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Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1. Solid Rocket Combustion Instability—An American
Historical Account................................................................... 1
E. W. Price, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
Introduction......................................................................................... 1
Days of the Magicians............................................................................ 1
Growth of Research Motivated by the Risk to Big Motor Programs................ 4
Revitalization of Research Linked to Troubles in Development Programs........ 6
More About Laboratory Burners for Study of Combustion Instability ............. 7
Rise and Fall of Velocity Coupling ........................................................... 9
Some Lessons To Be Learned from History ..............................................10
Important Research Needs (1991)............................................................11
Comments .......................................................................................... 12
References.......................................................................................... 12
Chapter 2. Introduction to Nonsteady Burning and Combustion
Stability................................................................................l7
M. Barrere, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales,
92320 Chatillon, France
Nomenclature...................................................................................... 17
Introduction........................................................................................ 19
Historical Outline..............................................................................20
Types of Transient Processes ...............................................................21
Plan of Presentation and Objectives......................................................22
Transient Combustion of Solid Propellants................................................23
Pressure Steps ..................................................................................23
Pressure Modulation..........................................................................31
Intrinsic Combustion Stability of Solid Propellants................................... 39
Grain Ignition......................................................................................40
Background and Historical Survey........................................................40
Combustion Instabilities ........................................................................43
Nonacoustic or Low-Frequency Instability..............................................44
Linear Acoustic Instabilities ................................................................47
Nonlinear Acoustic Instabilities............................................................ 50
Loss Evaluations...............................................................................50