Combustion of Solid Fuels and Propellants

ABOUT THE COURSE: This course aims to enable UG (final year)/PG/Ph.D. students to understand the fundamental combustion processes of double-base propellants, composite propellants, and solid fuels (mainly metal fuels) and compare the relevant mechanisms related to them. It starts with a brief review of the basics of rocket propulsion and solid propellants and then covers the detailed combustion mechanisms of various solid propellants including metal fuels. How the addition of metal particles changes the energetics and combustion behavior in metalized composite solid propellants will also be covered. A few lectures will be used to discuss the erosive burning in solid propellant rockets towards the end of the course. INTENDED AUDIENCE: BE/ME/Ph.D. students in Aerospace Engineering /Mechanical Engineering and industry/research professionals from similar fieldsPREREQUISITES: Thermodynamics, Basics of Aerospace PropulsionINDUSTRY SUPPORT: 1. Indian Space Research Organization2. Defence Research and Development Laboratory3. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory4. Bharat Dynamics Limited5. Companies involved in solid propellant synthesis and characterizations

Week 1: Basics of Rocket Propulsion:

The basic principle of rocket, Classification of rockets, Performance parameters, Brief description of solid propellant rockets, and Application of solid rockets
Week 2: Solid Propellants:

Introduction to solid propellants and propellant ingredients, Selection criteria for propellants, Generalclassification of solid propellants
Week 3: Combustion of Solid Propellants-Part-I:

An overview of premixed and diffusion flames, Combustion mechanism of Double-base propellants, Different zones of combustion (Preheated zone, Foam zone, Fizz zone, Dark Zone, and Secondary luminous zone/Flame zone), Dominant reactions
Week 4:Combustion of Solid Propellants-Part-II:

Combustion mechanism of DB propellants-contd. Analysis of burning rate (Vielle’s Law/Saint Robert’s Law) Decomposition and combustion of ammonium perchlorate (AP)-Introduction
Week 5:Combustion of Solid Propellants-Part-III:

Combustion of AP composite propellants (AP premixed flame, Primary diffusion flame, Secondary diffusion flame), Evaluation of burning rate, Effect of pressure and size of AP crystals on burning rate, Example problems on burning rate of solid propellants
Week 6:Combustion of Metals-Part-I:

Metal as fuel ingredient for rocket propulsion, Properties of metals and oxides, Metal particle combustion, Glassman criterion
Week 7:Combustion of Metals-Part-II:

Metal particle combustion (contd.), Effect of metals on combustion of propellants, Combustion products of metals, Recent and future developments on metal fuels in propellants
Week 8:Erosive Burning in Solid Propellant Rockets:

Introduction and theories of erosive burning, relative velocity, Experimental approach, Effect of propellant characteristics and chamber pressure on erosive burning, Effect of erosion on propellant burning rate