US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Jay S Lilley

William M Chew

Jerrold H Arszman

Leo K Asaoka

Douglas L May

A propulsion system is disclosed comprising a glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) olid fuel generator (SFGG) that produces fuel-rich hot gases which are combusted in a combustion zone of a combustion chamber of a solid fuel ducted rocket. A basic embodiment comprises an airbreathing engine wherein a ducted member scoops air in from the atmosphere for hypergolic reaction with the fuel-rich hot gases for propulsion during a sustain stage of a flight. An augmentation of the basic embodiment is achieved by combusting the fuel-rich GAP SFGG effluent with inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA) gel oxidizer to produce higher thrust during the boost and dash stages of a flight. During the high thrust stages, the air ducts of the ducted member are closed and IRFNA gel is injected into the combustion chamber to react with the fuel-rich hot gases from the GAP SFGG. The resulting higher pressure in the combustion chamber gives the missile a correspondingly greater thrust than during the lower pressure airbreathing sustain stage of flight.

Solid fuel ducted rocket with gel-oxidizer augmentation propulsion

A method for determining the burning rate of a propellant. The method involves the single firing of a subscale, propellant motor that has been modified so that the propellant motor has a tapered cylindrical port that produces a non-neutral pressure-time trace when burned. The pressure-time trace is initially progressive (pressure increases with time), and then regressive (pressure decreases with time). Unlike conventional motors, this motor operates over a range of burning rates; therefore, the burning rate behavior of the propellant can be characterized with a single motor firing. The burning rate of the propellant is extracted from the motor pressure-time history by a computer analysis package. The analysis package employs an optimization program which uses an internal ballistics model of the motor. The ballistics model is used to generate a theoretical pressure-time trace which can be compared with the digitized output signal from the actual motor. The optimization routine of the computer determines the propellant burning rate behavior by selecting the burning rate law which, when employed in the internal ballistics model of the motor, produces the best match between the computer generated and the actual motor pressure-time traces. Thus by using the tapered port motor and by reducing the data, the burning rate of a propellant can be characterized with a single motor firing.

Method for burning rate characterization of solid propellants

A recoil transducer fixture for determining force responses at high frequies. An impact transducer is mounted in a rigid assembly and is preloaded for operating under compressive loads. The fixture includes a pair of spaced plates having the transducer mounted therebetween and loading bolts cooperating with the plates for preloading the transducer to a predetermined value.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Jay S Lilley