Published 6 issues per year
ISSN Print: 2150-766X
ISSN Online: 2150-7678
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SPONTANEOUS RADIATION HEAT FEEDBACK MEASUREMENTS IN RADIAL BURNING PROPELLANT SAMPLES
ABSTRACT
Spontaneous radiant energy feedback measurements in a radial burning non-aluminized AP composite-propellant grain obtained with a micro-calorimeter, are reported in this paper. The experimental techniques developed for the measurements are described. Measurements performed at 3 different pressures show an increase in the radiant heat flux with pressure. A wavelength averaged propellant extinction factor was measured to evaluate the radiant heat flux opacity of the solid propellant grain. An extinction factor of about 3.7 cm−1 was determined. Finally, the steady burning rate was measured using two different experimental techniques. The first one utilized a video-frame recording system and the second one involved the analysis of the pressure vs. time plots for the burning propellant This experimental work is the first step in a series of studies, the final goal of which is to develop a procedure for the evaluation of the magnitude of the radiant energy feedback from the burning propellant surface and its effects on both the propellant burning rate and the scale factor.