Solid Propellant Combustion and Internal Ballistics of Motors

TLDR: In this article, the authors discuss the solid propellant combustion and internal ballistics of motors, and the burning rate is defined as the distance traveled by the flame front per unit of time, measured normally to the burning surface.

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the solid propellant combustion and internal ballistics of motors. The combustion of a solid propellant is characterized by the way its surface regresses once it begins to burn. The burning rate is the distance traveled by the flame front per unit of time, measured normally to the burning surface. The burning rate is obtained by the strand useful length and the duration of the firing. The latter is determined by monitoring the noise created by the combustion. The advantage of this method is that a preliminary lateral restriction of the strand is not necessary. The introduction during the manufacturing of ballistic catalysts in propellant compositions allows the regulation of the burning-rate level and a significant decrease in the values of temperature coefficients and pressure exponents. Heterogeneous propellants contain a mixture of these ingredients, while decomposition releases gaseous products whose nature is either oxidizing or reducing. The addition of low-particle content, as ingredients in the propellant, is often successful in stabilizing motor combustion. This is particularly true in the case of tangential instabilities.