2008/10/17 by Weidong Cai, Piyush Thakre, Vigor Yang · 1 citation
Engineering · #Aerospace Engineering and Control Systems #Energetic Materials and Combustion #Rocket and propulsion systems research
paper · doi:10.1080/00102200802414915
crossref issued 2008/10/17 · crossref published 2008/10/17 · crossref published-print 2008/10/17 · openalex publication_date 2008/10/17 · crossref created 2008/10/21 · crossref deposited 2019/05/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03 · crossref indexed 2026/08/03
A comprehensive theoretical/numerical model for treating AP/HTPB composite-propellant combustion in a rocket-motor environment is presented. The formulation takes into account the conservation equations in both the gas and condensed phases, and accommodates finite-rate chemical kinetics and variable thermophysical properties. The processes in the two phases are coupled at the surface to determine the propellant burning behavior. An asymptotic analysis based on a large activation-energy approximation for the condensed-phase decomposition is applied to help resolve the combustion wave structure in the interfacial layer. A simplified global reaction is employed to characterize the final diffusion flame between the decomposition products of AP and the pyrolysis products of HTPB. Only laminar flows are considered here, to avoid complications arising from turbulence. A detailed parametric study is conducted on the gas-phase flame structures of AP/HTPB composite propellants. The dependence of burning rate, flame stand-off distance, and heat-release distribution on AP particle size, chamber pressure, and gas-phase reaction rates is studied systematically. The phenomenon of erosive burning due to the strong crossflow in a rocket-motor environment is also examined.