Decomposition of Solid Propellants in a ...

Solid propellants are fuels that do not require an external supply of oxygen for combustion. Once ignited, they rapidly decompose to evolve hot gaseous products. Solid propellants are hence used as fuel for propulsion applications in oxygen rare environments. In this study, a simple model for solid propellant decomposition in a combustion chamber with an exit port was presented. The combustion chamber is assumed to be a 'well-mixed reactor'. The model equations take into account the effect of shape and size of the solid propellant. The phenomenon of 'choking flow' is included while calculating the exit flow-rate. Appropriate methodology for calibrating the model parameters was developed. The calibrated model was validated by comparing simulation results with experimental pressure profiles. This study would be useful for providing guidelines to select appropriate solid propellant configurations and for the development of a system level model for propulsion systems.