Accession Number:

ADA193598

Title:

A Study of Flame Spreading and Combustion Phenomena of Stick Propellants

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. May 1983-Dec 1987

Corporate Author:

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV UNIVERSITY PARK

Personal Author(s):

• Kuo, K. K.
• Hsieh, W. H.

Report Date:

1988-02-29

Pagination or Media Count:

17.0

Abstract:

The flame spreading and combustion phenomena of stick propellants were studied both experimentally and theoretically in three major research areas a investigation of the flame spreading and combustion processes inside a single stick propellant under controlled external pressurization b study of the strand and erosive burning characteristics of stick propellants and c investigation of combustion phenomena of stick propellant bundles under simulated gun conditions. A comprehensive theoretical model for each of the research areas was formulated, solved numerically, and validated by experimental data. Experimentally, four combustion chambers were designed to conduct single-stick, erosive-burning, strand burner, and stick bundle tests. It was found that the critical pressure differential for stick propellant grain rupture increased monotonically with pressurization rate, and the critical pressure differential can be substantially higher at rapid pressurization rates than at steady-state conditions.

Descriptors:

• *FLAME PROPAGATION
• *PROPELLANT GRAINS
• *COMBUSTION
• STEADY STATE
• DIGITAL SYSTEMS
• EXPERIMENTAL DATA
• HIGH RATE
• VALIDATION
• MODELS
• THEORY
• RATES
• RUPTURE
• PROPELLANTS
• PRESSURE
• COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
• EXTERNAL
• PRESSURIZATION
• GUNS
• STRANDS
• BURNERS
• BUNDLES
• SIMULATION
• EROSIVE BURNING
• IMAGE PROCESSING
• CONTROL

Subject Categories:

• Ammunition and Explosives

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE